h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You can easily get Black Sheep beers on draught. It is noticable that virtually all the supermarket chains sell the bottles, but also a lot of the beer wholesalers supply the draught version to the free trade. What you need to do is find a Free House and bug the landlord to order it in.

Gwtting Draught Rigwelter is difficult. The only place outside Yorkshire is the Bell Inn Nottingham. Anybody know of anywhere else?

The Palmeston Arms and Charters - Peterborough. The Cask & Cutler and The Fat Cat - Sheffield. The Fat Cat - Norwich. The Fat Cat - Ipswich. The Hobgoblin - Reading.

Not on a regular basis, execpt for hte Palmeston, though.

Glad to see a good beer getting around

Oh heck! Is it a chain?

Sorry I took so long.

These Fat Cats aren't a chain.

The one in Sheffield is owned by the Kelham Island brewery and operates as their brewery tap.

The one in Norwich was opened up quite a few years ago by a chap by the name of Colin Keatley, a landlord of many years standing. The pub did amazing trade, so he decided to open another one along the same lines, even with the same style of decor, the Fat Cat in Ipswich. He then installed his brother as a manager/landlord. After a year though, the Ipswich pub was doing so well, that the bloke there, John Keatley was able to buy it off his brother. So, the Norwich and Ipswich pubs are owned by brothers, but not a chain as such.

None of these three pubs have anything to do with The Fat Cat Cafe Bar chain, which to be quite frank sucks in my opinion. But I've only been in three of them, and didn't like the staff that they had running them.

Hope that helps

Thanks. I was really hoping my new favourite pub in Sheffield wasn't part of a chain. (I used to - many, many, many years ago - love the Frog and Parrot on Division street. But it got popular, machines - urgh - and went downhill. Although I'm told that the beer is still good) I like to go to the FC with my Grandad and get him to tell me all about how Sheffield used to be when he was a boy in the 1920s. Great

The Kelham Island district is certainly a good setting for that

To get to the Fat Cat in Sheffield take the Supertram to the Shalesmoor tram stop. While at the tram stop walk 20 yards up the platform and you are at the door of the Cask and Cutler. In my opinion the Cask and Cutler is a friendlier and more laid back establishment than the Fat Cat. Oh hell while you are there visit both.

Also, mention in the Guide entry is made of The Bell Inn in Nottingham. Amongst its many qualities is the fact that it opens at 10.30 am (Half an hour earlier than is usual)