April 2025
A Pilgrim Pilgrimage
I went to the newly reopened Pilgrim a few days ago. It only reopened on Wednesday after a refit and cellar changes. The last time I was there I was served a pint of vinegar—which is not what I wanted, or ordered. It is always a worry when the people serving at the bar don’t know the condition of the ale that they are selling to their customers, particularly when it has passed through ‘on the turn’ and arrived at ‘rank.’ I mean my eyes could feel the vapours from it before getting the glass up to my mouth.
I managed to swap it for something I could drink. But once you’ve suffered that kind of issue you vote with your feet and don’t go back for quite some time—well I do anyway. Let’s face you know you’d been better off in one of the other local pubs a short jaunt away (like the Grapes, Roscoe Head, Dispensary, Belvedere etc). If you give reason not to go somewhere then the prospective customers will make their choices. I dare say it was a still a draw for non ale drinkers who’d no doubt have a nice time there drinking out of bottles.
Back in the 1990s I used to drink there—and watch some gigs and events upstairs too.
The bar now has four casks on and they’ll definitely not need chips to put them on. They’ve kept a lot of the things the Pilgrim was famous for and has a jukebox and pinball machine too (Dr No). I liked the vibe, but then I went to the second pub next door (which includes what was previously just the upstairs of the Pilgrim). This is called the Mayflower Inn and has been decked out differently than the Pilgrim. For those that know the Liverpool pubs now, it very much has a White Hart feel—but with more natural light (bigger and more windows). Personally I feel I’m more likely to go to the Mayflower than the Pilgrim. But clearly it is like the White Hart and Engineer relationship: two different names but same place.
I’m not saying I’ll be going to these two places that often (as there are so many options) but I won’t now be avoiding them. Welcome back to the ale option fold.
I managed to swap it for something I could drink. But once you’ve suffered that kind of issue you vote with your feet and don’t go back for quite some time—well I do anyway. Let’s face you know you’d been better off in one of the other local pubs a short jaunt away (like the Grapes, Roscoe Head, Dispensary, Belvedere etc). If you give reason not to go somewhere then the prospective customers will make their choices. I dare say it was a still a draw for non ale drinkers who’d no doubt have a nice time there drinking out of bottles.
Back in the 1990s I used to drink there—and watch some gigs and events upstairs too.
The bar now has four casks on and they’ll definitely not need chips to put them on. They’ve kept a lot of the things the Pilgrim was famous for and has a jukebox and pinball machine too (Dr No). I liked the vibe, but then I went to the second pub next door (which includes what was previously just the upstairs of the Pilgrim). This is called the Mayflower Inn and has been decked out differently than the Pilgrim. For those that know the Liverpool pubs now, it very much has a White Hart feel—but with more natural light (bigger and more windows). Personally I feel I’m more likely to go to the Mayflower than the Pilgrim. But clearly it is like the White Hart and Engineer relationship: two different names but same place.
I’m not saying I’ll be going to these two places that often (as there are so many options) but I won’t now be avoiding them. Welcome back to the ale option fold.