Poachers Inn, Bollington

The Poachers is a pleasant, very friendly genuine free-house and flagship real ale community pub with fresh home-made food run by Helen and Rob Ellwood. Two of the five hand-pumps are reserved for Beartown’s Glacier and Macclesfield’s Storm Brewing’s Desert Storm. The three other guest beers support a wide variety of micro-brewery real ales. One of the guests is always a dark beer, whilst diverse national and World bottled beers & cans ensure there is always a wide choice. Internally the pub offers a warm, relaxing and surprisingly quiet niche by the entrance door, where you can sit in comfortable lounge chairs and stare into the coal and wood open fire while enjoying a pint of real ale. In the centre, diners and drinkers mix affably around the bar, and a large table is often surrounded by members from one of the many local groups that use the pub as a meeting point (e.g. cycling, walking, investors club, beer festival meetings) or by an extended family celebrating a special event. Towards the bottom end sumptuous sofas and armchairs allow visitors to sit back, relax, gossip and appreciate their beer. Outside, a secluded beer garden is nestled to the rear of the pub providing a real sun trap on a lovely summer's evening. Positioned at the foot of Blaze Hill, on the very edge of the village as you enter from the Peak District National Park, just a couple of hundred yards up the hill, and with both the Gritstone Trail and the Middlewood Way passing nearby, The Poachers is very popular with walkers and their canine friends (real ale for the walker is complemented by thirst-quenching bowls of water for the 4-legged companions and dog treats can be bought). Good, reasonably priced food is available lunchtime and evening Tuesday to Sunday with both full restaurant and bar menus to choose from, including Sunday roast dinner. The lunchtime meals are particularly good value and very popular with local residents. Wednesday is Pie and a Pint Night with a choice of 2 or 3 pies and a drink included. The pub is closed on Monday lunchtimes and the kitchen is closed in the evening, but you can order a take away meal from any local food outlet and the pub will provide crockery and cutlery. Regular quiz nights (second and last Sunday in the month throughout the year) and the golf society ensure The Poachers is very much part of the local community. Food service 12-5 on Quiz Sundays.