Malt Shovel Tavern, Northampton

The former NBC brewery tap is a popular award-winning pub and is close to the town centre and opposite the modern Carlsberg plant, where its old brewery once stood. A fantastic exhibition of Breweriana features everywhere inside the pub. Note the (possibly) unique NBC neon-lit star adorning the front of the pub to remind us of its former ownership. The pub serves up to eight ales, most from local and regional microbreweries, plus three real ciders, as well as Belgian draught and bottled beers. At least one dark beer is always available. Hot snacks are available from the bar counter. There are two distinctly different drinking areas with a cosy carpeted area to the front and a more open plan area with wooden floors to the rear. This is the sister pub to the GBG listed Merchants in Rugby and like its sister, holds occasional beer festivals. There is a Blues night on the 1st Wednesday of every month and a quiz night on the last Thursday of the month. The pub can get extremely busy when the Northampton Saints rugby team is featured on the screens. Several times winner of the local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year and East Midlands Regional Pub as well. Not to be missed.