Melborn Hotel

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.86/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3

The Melborn Hotel (correct spelling) was once owned by the Melbourne Brewery (Leeds) Limited, before it was subsumed and closed in 1960, by a nearby Brewery Joshua Tetley’s, whom themselves were later to become part of the giant Carlsberg-Tetley group. The fact that Melbourne is still a trademark, resulted in the ‘alternate’ spelling of the Pub, when it became a Free-House, it’s all very silly.

Located about ½ mile from the City Centre, this Pub is a little known gem and is often overlooked for other Beer Bars that have a much wider range of Real Ales. But if you make it to the New Beehive and Haigy’s, you should come here for two very good reasons.

First off – it’s a true Free-House, being that it is owned by the Licensee and has no ties to any Breweries. This allows the Melborn to sell any Guest Beer of its choice alongside its regular beer, which is ironically, Tetley’s Bitter. The Guest Beers are always exclusively from Yorkshire & Northern based Craft Brewers. What it lacks in numbers, it certainly makes up for in sheer quality. The beers are always on form here.

Second - this is a real “day-to-day” working Pub, which thankfully still believes in the “old-fashioned” traditional values of maintaining High Standards, Quality, Value and Service. The Customer truly is King here.

Built in the early 1930’s for the then Melbourne Brewery, the owner has done much to preserve the Pub as it was, it is not quite complete yet, but the Pub is slowly and sympathetically being restored to its former glory, including its tiled frontage and interior. The owner even has a small collection of rare Melbourne Breweriana on display inside the Pub.

Comprised of two rooms with a central bar, there is a large Tap Room (with some real characters) and a larger Music Room. The latter hosts live Blues and Folk music, 6 nights a week. Probably Bradford’s premier Pub-Live Music venue. Being a Hotel, you can also elect to stay the night here if you wish. Bar Snacks only.

Real Ale-Real Music-Real People. Bradford CAMRA Pub of the Year 1999. Its strength is its genuine hospitality, and the small range of excellent Northern England Real Ales.
A true Yorkshire Pub.

08-18-2003 01:43:50 | More by TheLongBeachBum