THE manager of one of Northwich's best-rated pubs says serving a quality pint 'isn't rocket science, but just a matter of getting a lot of little things right'.
A relative newcomer compared with some of the other pubs in Northwich, The Salty Dog has had a lot of praise since hitting the town's pub scene in 2017.
Taking up the whole ground floor of one of High Street's iconic half-timbred buildings, one TripAdvisor reviewer calls Northwich's 'The Salty' ‘a cultural oasis’, where music lovers and beer aficionados come together over shared interests in a warm and friendly environment.
The place is a riot of colour and interest, with gig posters and brewery bumf on every wall, and the vast display of pump clips around the bar is a sure sign of a pub targeting more discerning drinkers.
The Salty Dog has been in the Guide since it opened in 2017 (Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)
Another is the fact that it has made it into the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, the book beer connoisseurs up and down the country call simply 'The Bible,' for the fifth year running.
Dom Ogden, who runs the place along with co-manager Alex Pop, explained exactly what's involved.
“Serving a good pint of real ale is not rocket science" says Dom. "But there a lot of little things you’ve got to get right."
“You’ve got to wrack it properly, and vent it, and leave it to settle for the right amount of time. You’ve got to clean the lines properly, which we do every Monday.
The Salty Dog manages to feel spacious without feeling empty (Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)
“You’ve also got to keep the beer moving, which is why we sell cask for £2.50 on Mondays. If a cask has been open three days, it’s passed its peak. You should never offer more choice than you confidently believe you can sell.
“We have three or four casks at any one time, plus a house lager and three rotating craft kegs. We also have craft cans on a regular rotation.
“We’ve been in the Guide every year since we’ve been open, so five times now.
“It’s really important to us because it means we get a lot of CAMRA members in here, and we’re really grateful for their support.
Regular customer, Neal Jackson, explained what keeps his coming back.
He said: “The beer quality, the music, and the manager, Dom.
“I’ve been coming here for three years and it’s my go-to place. If you want to drink real ale in Northwich, in my opinion, there really is nowhere that comes close."
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