Tuesday 28 August 2007

Bill Blunt's Guide to Wetherspoons: No 2: Birkenhead: The Brass Balance


After the acclaim which was accorded my first entry into the Bill Blunt Wetherspoon Guide, it's time, I think, to crack on with the second entry. Having settled on The John Laird as my starting point, it makes sense to review its Birkenhead younger brother,
The Brass Balance.

Nestling in a busy street off Birkenhead's rather beautiful Hamilton Square, The Brass Balance offers a (slightly) more up-market environment for the discerning Birkenhead drinker and diner. Named after its former role as the factory of W&T Avery, the scales manufacturers who occupied the site from the early 1900's until the Second World War (although it has had a few incarnations since then - including an Italian restaurant) the Brass Balance is a large pub with a beer garden to the rear to satisfy those individuals (such as Mrs Blunt) who like to pollute the environment with their foul-smelling cheroots.

The menu of food on offer is err... exactly the same as you'll find in any other Wetherspoons. The breakfast is again a good value option, available until 12 noon for just £2.10. The staff seem friendly enough - though perhaps a little more reserved than their counterparts across town.

Old pictures of Birkenhead decorate the walls, as do historical snippets on the town's great and good citizens. Little wonder that my old friend, Tommy Hamburger, was driven to make The Brass Balance the spiritual home of his fictional creation, Harry McFry, who had a bit of a bent for history himself.

The wi-fi access hasn't always been as reliable as it might be, but today (thankfully) it's top-notch. And so, to the scores...

Decor: 8/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Value for money: 9/10
Location: 8/10
Wifi Access: 9/10

3 comments:

the Domestic Minx said...

Ah, what a shame I'm not closer..
It's morning, I'm unfed and now enchanted by the thought of a breakfast to restore the balance...
Alas, it is coffee and toast for me...

Gail Is This Mutton? said...

Bill, what a great service you offer by reviewing the individual attractions of Wetherspoons. I hope you will be visiting each one in a tireless quest across the UK.

Anonymous said...

Someday, Domestic Minx, I am sure we will have the pleasure of sharing a breakfast...

Thank you, Gail - it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it!