Micropub may open in Melton's '˜real ale alley'

A planning application has been submitted to open The Gas Tap micropub at the former Peckish sandwich shop on Burton Street, opposite St Mary’s Church.

A micropub is defined as ‘a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks’.

The Gas Tap would hold a maximum of just 25 people, offering a choice of 10 cask ales and up to four ciders, alongside a menu of crisps, pork scratchings and a pickled egg.

The plans have been submitted by Steve Plews, who runs the Gasdog micro brewery from the Noel’s Arms pub in Burton Street.

He said: “Micropubs are relatively new concepts which return to the days of a small cask ale tap house. With no music, television or wifi, they bring back the art of conversation for people who like their real ale.

“I’ve been thinking about opening a micropub for a while but have been looking for the right premises. Burton Street is considered as ‘real ale alley’ which is why I see it fitting in well there.

“All the ales will be sourced from local brewers and there will be no hand pulls, with ales served straight from the cask. Opening hours would be limited, with the latest closing on any night being 9pm. It would be a real ‘destination ‘ little cask house that real ale lovers will want to tick off their list and it would be the first specific tap house in Leicestershire for many years.”

The plans to open The Gas Tap were welcomed by Melton and District CAMRA branch chairman Kevin Billson.

He said: “This would be a really nice addition. It’s important to attract people into the town, particularly at beer festival time, and this micropub would help achieve that.

“Micropubs started off by people converting old shops. They’re nice and simple, tending to focus on real ale and ciders, and there a place where people can enjoy a selection of real ales and a conversation. In many ways it’s going back to what pubs used to be.

“We do have some good real ale pubs in Melton but I do feel, compared to other places like Oakham and Leicester, that Melton has been left behind over the last few years and that’s one of the reasons I’d welcome this new micropub in the town.”

Melton Council will decide the application in due course.

l Would you welcome the new micropub? Email your views to [email protected]