Salford Now reporter Tom Whittleton is taking a tour of the city’s pubs to find out how they are faring in the cost of living crisis. His first stop is the King’s Arms on Bloom Street.
Real ale enthusiasts at Salford’s quirkiest boozer, the King’s Arms, can raise a glass to the Queen’s Legs after the pub’s bosses introduced a new beer.
They teamed up with Strange Times Brewing in Salford to make their own exclusive blonde ale called The Queen’s Legs.
The King’s Arms boasts an ever-revolving cast of real ales and craft brewed beers and after a taste test, I can confirm that this new citrussy and fresh ale is perfect for a leisurely afternoon in the pub stroking the resident cat, Charlie.
It’s surprisingly well-priced too, £4.30 a pint which is unheard of in a pub that borders the boundary with Manchester where a city centre pint can be £6.
Charlie the pub cat has become a local celebrity lolling around on the wrap around upholstery, greeting punters with a brief meow and a cuddle. Charlie and I shared a cold pint and a few well-earned head scratches.
First licensed in 1802, the pub has a colourful history, with Victorian-era landlady Lucy Davis allegedly kicking out her husband for his drunken misbehaviour in 1883.
Housemartins and Beautiful South singer Paul Heaton ran the pub from 2011-2015 adding to the Bohemian attitude of the establishment.
It is a popular meeting place for different clubs and movements. “We’ve got the socialists, Labour and the Greens so our political leaning is obvious,” laughs bartender Katie Damer.
Asked about the rising prices and closing pubs in the area she replied “everything’s going up and we can’t fight it as this point.”
The pub’s left-wing credentials and groups are not the only clubs that are popular. The knitting group “Prickers” is an all ages, all abilities group inviting anyone to join up.
Hosting plays, gigs, and poetry readings, the upstairs theatre pulls in an “artsy” crowd with an endless supply of equally hip IPAs and real ales perfect for a student crowd with their ales changing every time a barrel finishes.
The Oscar Wilde-esque interior décor reflects its past as a brothel with rooms to rent by the hour back in the old days, with draped curtains, dim lighting and Victorian fixtures.
The Falls’ song Totally Wired was bleeding through the antique jukebox in the corner when I realised I had to leave. I could have stayed for many more pints.
A visit is a necessary detour for anyone in the Salford area.
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