CityLife

New Oxford

The New Oxford

WITH all the doom and gloom surrounding the pub trade, it is heartening to find a place that has turned itself around in spectacular fashion. That's not just good news for the owners and the community but for those who appreciate a good boozer region-wide. T

he New Oxford is such a place. A few years ago the once legendary Salford drinking den (it apparently featured in the 1941 classic film Love On The Dole) was boarded up with little hope of it reopening. But a visionary Irish couple, Tim Flynn and Paulette Scanlon, took on the historic building in handsome Bexley Square and have turned it into, arguably, a pub with the finest selection of beers in the region.

There were 10 real ales on tap when I visited, including ones from Salford's own brewery Bazens {ndash} Old Punch Ale, Flatbac and a brew specially for the New Oxford called Top Of The Pubs.

The New Oxford also had Legends, from Northern Soul brewery, Shaws Double Century and Sunlight, from Wirral brewery Betwixt Beer. But they also stock continental beers on tap, including Germany's Kostritzer and a fulsome bottled beer menu.

I had a relatively safe Bohemia Regent Gold from the Czech Republic (£3), which has secondary fermentation in the bottle, so pour carefully. My drinking buddy went more experimental with a Bravoure from De Dochter ven de Korenaar (£3.50). It was wonderfully distinctive and heady at 6.5 per cent.

The pub rightly won Camra's Greater Manchester Pub of the Year Award for 2007, but to be included in this column a boozer has to serve food. The New Oxford is doing that now, albeit in a rudimentary, but value for money, way.

Chomped

The bar menu runs from noon to 8pm with baked potatoes, toasties and mains of chilli, curry of the day, that sort of thing but a more comprehensive menu is available in the evenings. I had a decent steak and ale pie and chips (£5) while my drinking pal chomped on a 4oz rump steak sandwich with salad (£4.25).

But one thing the pub offers that is not new is atmosphere. Yes, it is a bit blokey, but in a 'beer buff' rather than 'bit rough' kind of way. There was folk and Irish music and even a Welsh male voice choir on the sound system. T

here were regulars at the bar and even a snoozing sheepdog at one drinker's feet. You can't beat dogs in pubs for a homely atmosphere.

The hostelry's reputation for beer must be growing. Two young bucks came in obviously aware of the cathedral-like reverence of lager here and jokily asked for two pints of Carlsberg.

It is a testament to the success of the New Oxford that the landlady kept a straight face.