Beefeater The Heaton Park, Higher Blackley, Manchester

The front of this pub is adorned with Beefeater signs and the only mention of Heaton Park is above the main entrance that faces the large car park at the rear. Outside the front of the pub are more picnic tables on a terrace and a large lawn that runs along the front of the pub adjacent to the busy Middleton Road. I stayed in the adjacent Premier Inn for three days last week and during this time the overflowing ashtray on the wall by the entrance was never emptied so cigarettes were overflowing onto the floor and blowing around the small adjacent lawn where some picnic tables are in situ. Inside the pub there is a bar area to the left with television for showing live football. A limited selection of keg is available alongside San Miguel and the handpump was drawing Sharps Doom Bar. As one would expect, the rest of the pub is set for dining. One interesting feature was the split level seating running up some stairs in the front right corner of the pub. I had dinner here on my first night, which was a disappointing mixed grill, certainly not worth the £17.99 I paid for it. The Premier Inn breakfast was good and the service was polite. However, it’s my opinion that the quality at the Beefeater chain has gone downhill in recent years and the food is no better than at a Spoons which is under half the price. I’ll not be visiting here again for food or beer.

The Heaton Park is named after the park that it is opposite. When i visited this pub it was a large Whitbread beefeater tied house so once inside the pub was quite smart and geared up for diners,there were two real ales on the bar i had a drink of Castle Eden and this was quite a nice drink the other beer was Boddingtons. The pub was empty on my visit as it was just after opening time,i dont really like these sort of pubs but it did open at 11 in the morning so i car'nt really complain. Pub visited 8/5/1993