The rescued Bristol pub serving a ‘jaw-dropping’ range of beers and ‘banging’ food

The Barley Mow really is one of those pubs we could all do with at the end of our street.

It has a real fire crackling away in the corner on chilly days, plenty of outdoor seating for post-work pints in the sun and one of the best beer selections in Bristol. What more could you want?

And we should really be thankful that this tucked away Victorian pub in The Dings is still here at all.

Prior to Bristol Beer Factory taking it on, it was deserted, under threat and earmarked for demolition.

It could have easily gone the same way as so many pubs we’ve lost around St Philips such as the Cattle Market Tavern, the Midland Inn and the Printers Devil.

The Barley Mow is a no-frills pub with a timeless look. There are stripped wood floors, plenty of original features and a red ‘Georges beers’ flag is stuck to the ceiling - a tribute to one of Bristol’s long-lost breweries.

A small courtyard at the back has covered seating and there are long church pews either side of the sage-painted front entrance.

On arrival, you are greeted with a jaw-dropping range of beers to choose from. There are eight handpumps for real ales and cider, with a further ten taps on the back wall for the keg beers and lagers.

There’s also a large fridge of bottles and cans, many from breweries located a short walk from the pub.

On the day I was there, the handpumps were dispensing: Bristol Cider Co. Steam, Electric Bear Brewing Co. Horton Hears A Brew pale ale, Moor stout, Ashley Down Brewery Boadiceal and three Bristol Beer Factory ales - Time to Burn, Notorious and Fortitude. Priced from £4-£4.70, the cask ales are also reasonable in these days of £5+ pints.

I went for the ‘Power Couple’, a local collaboration between Arbor and Bristol Beer Factory. An amber-coloured ‘red’ ale, the label proudly revealed it had been made using a combination of hops including Mosaic Incognito, Mosaic Spectrum, Mosaic T90, El Dorado Incognito and Galaxy T90.

That’s plenty of detail for any beard-stroking beer-spotters in the house, but admittedly a bit lost on me. All I know is that it was a fantastic pint with a citrussy freshness - and, yes, I went back for seconds as it was so good.

The ten taps behind the bar have elaborately written boards listing tasting notes, strengths and prices. On this visit, these included Yorkshire-brewed Northern Monk Summer of Faith (a hazy rhubarb shandy), Arbor Pico Mountain IPA, Lost & Grounded Keller Pils hop bitter lager and Wiper & True Phantasmagoria IPA.

Of course, with so many beers on offer, drinkers might need something to soak it up with and there’s a full menu of ‘banging food’ from the resident chefs calling themselves Cord Kitchen.

This includes bar snacks such as Glamorgan croquetas (‘Spanish-style croquetas via South Wales with Caerphilly cheese and leek’) and six types of burger (from £10-£10.75).

Main dishes are £10.50-£14.50 and include cod cheek scampi with fries, crushed peas and homemade tartare sauce, and cauliflower daal with roasted spiced potatoes, kasundi and carrot salad.

In a week when four proper Bedminster drinkers’ pubs closed in one go, we need to cherish backstreet boozers like The Barley Mow more than ever.

They are becoming a precious commodity for any community because once they’re gone, these buildings rarely come back as pubs.

Thankfully, The Barley Mow has survived, thrived and, judging by its popularity on the afternoon I was there, it won’t be going anywhere for a long time.

The Barley Mow, 39 Barton Road, St Philips, Bristol, BS2 0LF.