Back in the early 2010’s I was sat in my local reading about plans for a new concept of real ale pub in my home city of Derby, one which was much smaller than the traditional alehouse. Over a year after reading about this I would finally visit this small pub, known as a micropub, and it’s from there that I would fall in love with the concept. Consequently I would go on to visit several micropubs in and around the regional area (mostly East Midlands in my case).
Fast-forwarding on to 2024 and that very first micropub that I visited has had a takeover and a small makeover to boot. Keen to check out the changes I decided to pay a long-overdue return visit to the Little Chester Ale House in Derby.
From launderette to micropub
As with most micropubs this particular venue has given an old shop unit a new lease of life, in this case a former launderettes. Setting foot inside and you are now greeted with an intimate and welcoming venue with some nice interior touches to boot. The main feature that you can not miss is the huge clock on your left as you enter. It’s certainly striking with the background lighting. Also worth mentioning is the wood-burning stove to keep you warm in the colder months (as was the case at the time of this particular visit).
Time for an ale
When it comes to liquid refreshments the Little Chester Ale House has plenty to offer for all tastes. For starters there are up to four cask ales available including two ales from owners Leatherbritches Brewery plus a couple of guest ales. Cider fans are also catered for with a couple of cask offerings available. On the keg front there are four tap beers to choose from, again including (on our visit at least) a couple of Leatherbritches offerings.
If beer and cider are not to your taste then you also have wines, whiskeys, spirits and soft drinks to choose from. Pub snacks are also available including crisps, nuts and pork scratchings.
Welcomed in the end
When plans for the Little Chester Ale House were first announced there was opposition from some local residents who feared it would lead to increased anti-social behavior. The counter-argument (which is the case for micropubs in general) is that the venue would be attracting the more mature drinker as opposed to your typical larger lout. Thankfully the micropub was approved in funnily enough some of the people who opposed the plans have actually gone on to become regular customers here.
Prior to opening a local real ale publication said that the Little Chester Ale House would make a welcome addition to Derby’s real ale scene. This was most certainly the case when it opened back in 2012 and it’s still the case today.
Getting here
The Little Chester Ale House is located in the Chester Green suburb in Derby, just north of the city centre.
Address – 4A Chester Green Rd, Little Chester, Derby DE1 3SF
There are plenty of buses running from Derby that stop right near the micropub including: