Is this a Jäger I see before me? Old meets new on our city's version of Diagon Alley

IF you've read much of my stuff, you'll know Sadler Gate is among my favourite things about Derby but, for whatever reason, I don't think I've ever stopped for a pint.

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Tucked away in a little recess along the street, which is filled to the brim with a sea of independent traders and even a Warhammer shop to get the indoorsy folk out of the house - is the Shakespeare.

It's long been known as a pub, but the latest owners seem to have stripped it of that status, describing it as a "trendy new bar and kitchen" online. It was most recently known at the Dog & Moon before it closed just before Covid, but it has now reverted to its older name.

And trendy was certainly a word that came to mind upon entry, where I was met with a long line of beers and ciders, but something seemed amiss a lack of real ale.

Sure, there was one IPA which I sampled, but IPAs are quickly becoming the vanilla ice cream of the beer scene, so not seeing any hand-pumped beers on the counter was a little disheartening, especially in Derby.

Instead, they have quite a bizarre lineup of Moretti (unfiltered), Beavertown's Gamma and Neck Oil, Guinness, Amstel, Inch's and the aforementioned Reliance pale ale from Brixton brewery, which should really be replaced with something from one of our many local breweries, in my opinion.