The Market Hotel (Chesterfield)

...sighting is to go into The Market Hotel in Chesterfield (her native town), buy a drink of beer (preferably Real Ale) to tempt her in and sit and wait near the bar area. If you do this on a Friday or Wednesday evening then it shouldn’t be too long before Tange puts in an appearance.

Let me tell you a little bit about why this pub is on my “Much frequented” List and what you can expect to discover if you go there yourself.

...Hall ~ it’s actually at the top of the Smaller New Square Market. It’s a very pretty looking pub with a traditional frontage; it has bay windows, a central front door and a lovely array of hanging baskets which are kept well stocked with flowers. There’s a very small Beer garden (more of a yard to be honest) to the rear, but you will find that drinkers spill out outside. It’s not uncommon, during warm weather to see the clientele outside the front ... more

If you want to view a Tange in her natural habitat you must pick your location carefully. A way to virtually guarantee a sighting is to go into The Market Hotel in Chesterfield (her native town), buy a drink of beer (preferably Real Ale) to tempt her in and sit and wait near the bar area. If you do this on a Friday or Wednesday evening then it shouldn’t be too long before Tange puts in an appearance.

Let me tell you a little bit about why this pub is on my “Much frequented” List and what you can expect to discover if you go there yourself.

The Market Hotel is located, not surprisingly, next to Chesterfield’s historic Market Place and Market Hall ~ it’s actually at the top of the Smaller New Square Market. It’s a very pretty looking pub with a traditional frontage; it has bay windows, a central front door and a lovely array of hanging baskets which are kept well stocked with flowers. There’s a very small Beer garden (more of a yard to be honest) to the rear, but you will find that drinkers spill out outside. It’s not uncommon, during warm weather to see the clientele outside the front door of the pub, standing on the cobbles of the Market having a chat and a beer ~ it’s all very relaxed and there isn’t usually any trouble.

As far as I know there is little or no disabled access to the pub ~ the front door is quite narrow and has a couple of steps. Inside, the pub is quite spacious and is open plan, but the toilets are narrow too and wouldn’t really accommodate anyone with mobility problems. None of this affects my use of the establishment, but it is worth bearing in mind if you do have difficulty with steps or are travelling with someone else who does ~ it would be a shame if you made a special journey and were disappointed! It’s also a smoker’s pub ~ if you don’t like smoke with your beer then you may want to avoid it at busy times!

Once inside the Market you will find a one room bar area which has an l shaped bar in the centre ~ this makes the pub as a whole l shaped too. The kitchen (which is very small) is at the back and there are plenty of seats to choose from…although everyone still insists on standing grouped around the bar! There are lots of pictures and posters on the wall, advertising the various drink offers and also relating to brewing ~ there are some lovely pictures of old beers and breweries and a nice poster of beer pump handles (that I did mistake for toilet chain handles!). It is a comfy place that still manages to look like a “proper” traditional pub…seats that don’t match, wooden floor, etc.

The Market is one of the few bars in Chesterfield Town Centre that is committed to Real Ale (CAMRA leaflets are displayed at the bar and they often sell tickets for beer festivals). This is one of the main reasons why I go there! Choice is good; as well as the Real Ales there is an excellent selection of wines, lagers, bottles and soft drinks. They have some good offers on drinks (e.g., buy two large glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free) and they also have Guest Beers to complement the regular beers (they have Burton Bitter, Pedigree, Tetley and Abbott as well as up to three Guest Beers). All the Guest Beers cost £2.00 a pint so you know exactly where you are and have no surprises ~ the Regular Beers vary but are generally a bit cheaper.

Food is served lunchtimes (11am to 2.30pm Monday to Saturday) ~ there isn’t a huge choice, but the food is freshly cooked and reasonably priced. Main courses are around £3 - £4 and the quality is good too…we have eaten there quite a lot, but it does get a bit crowded so it’s best to get in there early! In fact The Market gets quite crowded a lot of the time.

You will find it a bit thronged on Market days (Monday, Friday and Saturday and also for the Thursday “Flea Market”) and also on Friday and Saturday nights ~ it’s on the “Town Run”, usually after the Wetherspoons and before the Barrow Boy! The strange thing is that if you go in there at the wrong time there won’t be a soul in, but if you catch it when every has moved from the previous pub you’ll be waiting for ages! Clubs meet there on a few nights during the week too, adding to the atmosphere ~ we have seen a Wine Group meeting, people discussing the Socialist Worker and even a Fantasy Football League! They have also been known to have a band or two playing, but usually on the quieter nights (Tuesdays are usually the night for this, but I’d phone up ‘cos I’ve not been in on that night for a while).

That’s what I like best about The Market ~ the cross section of people you will meet there. Depending on when you pop in your drinking experience will probably vary…young people on a Friday or Saturday night, shoppers looking for a meal and a chat, dedicated beer drinkers, football supporters and a group of regulars propping up the bar.

The Market Hotel is a meeting place for everyone ~ we also congregate there on a Wednesday night for our first drink or two…sometimes we are still there at the end of the night!

Pub Details:

MARKET HOTEL
New Square, Chesterfield
01246 273641
 

...less