Visited on: Sunday 22nd January 2017
Bob Thompson
The Petersgate Tap is an interesting example of a modern pub inasmuch as it looks quite unremarkable from the outside. You might think it was just another city centre bar with fake foreign lager and fanciful cocktails at high prices. Well actually, you’d be quite wrong! Although larger than the real thing, the Petersgate Tap owes more to the micro-pub than the café-bar.
It is operated by Alan, assisted by his wife Carol and son, Chris. They had thought for some time that this part of Stockport, the oldest part close the market place, deserved a high quality pub; something a bit different from the traditional pubs and modern bars.
So it was, that on Saturday 29th October 2016 the Petersgate Tap opened in what was previously a betting shop.
The pub is on two levels with there being more room on the upper floor. Linda and myself called in on winter Sunday afternoon and so weren’t surprised to see there weren’t too many customers although we know it gets very busy in the evenings.
The entrance door is on the corner of the building and inside we could see that the staircase went up on the right side of the room.
In the window on this side is an upturned barrel acting as a table. The overall colour is a light grey on the walls. From the staircase down the right side of the room there is a small table followed by two tables each with four armchairs around them. Beyond that were three low wooden tables with two-seater stools either side. There are posters and breweriana gracing the walls.
The L-shaped bar counter was at the end of the room on the left side. There is a highly illuminated bar-back which is of wooden construction in an angular style. Coming back up the left side of the room alongside a large window are two tall tables, each with two high leather-padded chairs. The floor is wooden.
Upstairs I found a large room with many different types of seating including sofas, low and high tables, chairs and stools and even some old cinema seats. This room can be hired for free Sunday to Thursday.
It is busy with customers on Friday and Saturday. There is music here on the last Friday of the month which coincides with Stockport’s “Foodie Friday” (see separate website). There is acoustic music on the first Friday of the month. Quiz nights are held every Thursday.
The six hand pumps offered five cask beers as follows: Hawkshead (Staveley, Cumbria) Windermere Ale (3.5%), a regular; Thirst Class Ale (Reddish, Greater Manchester) American Brown (5.1%); Titanic (Burslem, Staffordshire) Cuppuccino Stout (4.5%); Peerless (Birkenhead, Merseyside) Knee Buckler IPA (5.2%); Marble (Manchester) Pint (3.9%).
There were some keg “craft” beers and still cider from boxes in the fridge.
The pub offers a full bar service of wines and spirits along with mixers and soft drinks. Tea and Coffee are also available. There is also some bottled foreign and “craft” canned beers.
They serve pork pies and sausage rolls from Livingston’s Butchers of Heaton Chapel. Also, there are quality potato crisps, pork scratchings and other packaged snacks.
The pub was 2018 CAMRA Stockport and South Manchester’s runner up in their Pub of the Year award and it their Cider Pub of the Year at the same time. It really is a useful addition to Stockport’s town centre drinking experience and you should visit if you are in the area.
Important Information:
Petersgate Tap, 19a St Petersgate, Stockport SK1 1EB. Tel: 07925 078426.
Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 16.00-22.00; Wednesday: 14.00-22.00;
Thursday-Saturday: 12.00-23.00; Sunday: 13.00- (about) 18.00.
Stockport railway station is easily reached from many towns and cities, especially Manchester (Piccadilly) with a frequency of about every five minutes. There is also a train every 20 minutes from London (Euston).
From Stockport railway station follow the station approach road to the main road (Wellington Road South). Here turn left and cross to the other side. Then turn right into St Petersgate. Keep walking for 300 metres. You will then find the pub on the corner of Etchells Street on the right side of the road.
Bus 192 runs Monday to Sunday from Manchester Piccadilly Gardens with a frequency of 10 minutes or even less at busy times. It takes around 25 minutes and runs along Wellington Road South in Stockport.
