Doctor’s Orders

JUST outside the city in Carrington on Mansfield Road is Nottingham’s first micro pub, the Doctors Orders. As the name suggests, it is a small pub in and it touched the hearts of two of their long-standing servers, Ella and Dan, so much that they have recently bought it, sharing it with Nottingham’s Magpie Brewery.

Doctor’s Orders will always showcase one keg, one cask and various bottles from Magpie Brewery, but they have much more to offer. They also have four guest cask, fpur keg craft beers and at least five ciders, with the aim to have one of those a sparkling cider.

Of the cask, I opted for Leicestershire Brewery Leatherbritches, and their traditional red ale, Mad Ruby. From the first sip it is clear that they look after their beer, beautifully clean and a thick foamy head. The head followed it right to the bottom of the glass. From the keg I tried a single hopped 4.5% pale Green by Almaty Brewing Co. A sweet, fruity and low bitterness hazy pale that feels much more that its ABV. The cask and keg tend to stick to more traditional beer styles. However, the craft beer fridge will have more adventurous styles available with imperial stouts, DIPA’S (double IPA) and Sours, to name but a few.

A Blue Barrel Cider, was on offer. Based in Clifton, they use apples picked by volunteers and friends and surplus apples from local orchards to create a cider programme that supports orchard regeneration and wildlife. A great reason to try the cider! It was medium dry cider and was delicious.

The small pub has a really intimate and friendly feel, with shared benches and cushions all around as well as tables and traditional pub chairs and stools. Dog and family friendly with a cupboard full of board games, it gives the impression that everyone who comes here is happy to be a part of the their local pub (however small!) community.

Keep an eye on Doctor’s Orders’ social media for details, as they are hoping to celebrate late December with a launch party to celebrate a new chapter of this much-loved micro pub with locals and newcomers. I myself will be sure to head down and toast the new owners who are already a “part of the furniture” and a part of Nottingham’s pub heritage moving into the next generation of publicans.