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Pub Review: The Roundhay, Oakwood, Leeds
IT’S SUNDAY teatime and two of Leeds United’s greater bêtes noires are locking horns on Sky TV.
Drinkers are clustered around each of the Roundhay’s many big screens. Those following Chelsea, those following Manchester United – and those who are quite indifferent to the outcome – are here in roughly equal measure.
There is scarcely anywhere in this giant cavern of a pub which doesn’t offer easy sightlines to the action. In the rear, small booths with their own built-in plasma screens offer more intimate private viewing.
Despite the name, the Roundhay is actually in Oakwood, a stone’s throw from the restaurants and shops at the hub of this north Leeds suburb. It is one of a growing number of pubs which have been bought up by the Greene King pubs chain, and when I pitch up at the bar I find two of their flagship ales facing me across the counter. Rather than opt for the lovely Abbot Ale, that I have tried many times in the past, I choose to make acquaintance with Greene King IPA, which at 3.6 per cent ABV is less potent than just about any other India Pale Ale you might care to mention.
My choice throws the barman somewhat. Most of the football fans seem to be on the lager, and there is some doubt as to whether the hand- pulled beer is actually available. He consults a colleague and they give it a whirl – and to be meticulously fair, they do a decent job of ensuring that my pint comes out in good nick, topping up the outsize head without my asking. Carling and Stella may be the stock-in trade at the Roundhay, but someone here clearly cares about the quality of their cask ales too.
I take my pint into a corner to watch the second half – and what proves to be a surprisingly well-received Manchester revival.
The beer proves an excellent choice. From its origins in the time of Empire and the Raj, IPA has become an extraordinarily broad church.
It is hard to believe that this mild, easy-drinking, softly-spoken ale bears any striking resemblance to the heavily-hopped firmly bitter ales which proved robust enough to survive the six-month passage to India. If citric, bitter fruity Jaipur from the Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire represents one end of the IPA spectrum, then this mild Greene King variety sits right at the other.
There is an equal contrast between the Roundhay and a couple of the other notable GK pubs in Leeds. Both Woodies Alehouse and New Inn on Otley Road are owned by the Suffolk chain, yet their business is focused squarely on beer, as befits two popular boozers at the front end of the Otley Run.
Here though there is a much greater emphasis on food, the gaudy, wipe- clean Hungry Horse menu is a fixture on every table, with handy photographs for diners who need re-assurance about what their sausage and mash will look like.
It’s simple, hearty, good-value dining with choices such as gammon and chips, shepherd’s pie and a chicken burger all for under £4. Most of the main courses come in at around the £5-£6 mark – and extra value is offered by the two-for £8.49 offer which runs every weekday.
Further deals such as kids meals for £1, curry and a pint for £4.99, two roasts for £10, rotate throughout the week.
For a pub that takes a relentless footfall of customers, it is in pretty good nick right now, attractively decorated in terracottas and browns, and with plenty of little nooks and crannies to disappear into for a drink. Entering through the pub’s left hand door brings you into its main room, the right hand one brings you to the pool tables, another popular draw here.
Email: s.w.jenkins@ntlworld.com
Twitter: @jenkolovesbeer
Factfile
Name: The Roundhay
Host: Paula Dawson
Type: Lively local dining pub
Opening hours: 9am-10pm Mon-Fri, 9am-10.30pm Sat, 10am-10pm Sun
Beers: Abbot Ale (£2.50), Greene King IPA (£2.40), Carling (£2.55), Foster’s (£2.40), Stella Artois (£2.90), Guinness (£2.95), Carlsberg (£2.35), Strongbow (£2.85)
Wine: Good choice from £1.99-glass and £6.29-bottle
Food: Hungry Horse menu available from opening until late, every day
Entertainment: Pool tables, games machine, multi-screen Sky Sports
Children: Welcomed
Disabled: Straightforward access
Beer Garden: Large terrace area to the front
Parking: Large area at rear, smaller area in front
Telephone: 0113 2402998
Email: 7950@greeneking.co.uk
Website: www.hungryhorse.co.uk
Beer Of The Week
Headland Red
This one comes from the multi award-winning Wold Top Brewery in the village of Wold Newton near Driffield in East Yorkshire. It’s very much a micro-brewery, but is becoming quite a favourite at beer festivals well beyond its Yorkshire heartland.
In fact Wold Top is on a serious mission to impress southern drinkers with its ales after securing a prestigious contract to supply beer to the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
At 4.3% ABV, Headland Red is hardly any stronger than a standard session ale, but it packs more taste and complexity than you’ll find in some beers of 5% and upwards.
When it first gets in the nostrils it delivers fresh fruits – blackberries, cherries and apples – though these are far less evident in a taste dominated by soft maltiness and the gentle bitterness of the Progress hops used in the brew. Dark Crystal Malt and Roasted Barley gives the distinctive ruby red colour to this mellow and malty, rich and substantial beer.
Appearance ****
Aroma ****
Taste ***
Aftertaste ***
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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