Local beer lover Aaron Butler, 36 from Newthorpe, is hoping he is able to transform former charity shop located on Nottingham Road into a brand new micropub, “Tap and Growler”.

Aaron has a passion for all things beer related and produces his own home-brew in his shed, creating cider from his own pear trees, he hopes to run the pub with his wife, Carrie. Aaron said: “It was a friend who works in the industry that planted the seed in our minds, so we did some research and found these tiny pubs are cropping up all over.

“Four new micro-pubs are opening every month, and it’s because the larger pubs are struggling under heavy charges from breweries which also limits what they can offer customers”

He also said: “With these smaller pubs you get more of a community feel, it’s a smaller space, it feels more tight-knit and also with the beer, we don’t want to open up a place selling cheap lager, we want to be able to have different tastes, give people the experience of trying something new.

“We’ve been to a few and they’re really positive environments, everyone talks to each other. The owners weren’t keen on it being a pub, so we had to reassure them that it was going to be a small community pub for a quiet drink.

“The idea is to keep costs down,” says Aaron. “So we won’t have any music, no spirits, so people can just have a cheap night out – it’s not about that, it’s all about the beer and the cider.”

The couple are currently waiting on a decision at the next planning committee meeting that will take place in June.

Punters will be able to take beer and cider from the tap home with them in reusable “growlers” if the plan goes ahead.

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  1. Dave Brown

    Open now! Thu-Sat! Great community and tasteful real ales. I recommend you go ( the staff are lovely too!).