Five Lamps - Derby

Well Loved Community Pub

Recently refurbished, the Five Lamps has been a popular institution with the locals of Derby for many years.

The pub is run by Graham and Janette Browett who have lots of experience creating award winning pubs. Under the Project William Scheme, the Browetts have transformed this once ailing pub into a success story. (The visionary Project William scheme was devised by Everards to revitalise failing businesses).

Wood Panelling

We decided to pay a visit to the Five Lamps after being contacted by Tom (@tapurnell) who
suggested the review. The Five Lamps is a bit off the beaten track for us so we decided to break our journey by having a quick pint in the General Havelock first (Magic Rock Rapture). There’s a bus stop just outside the Havelock where we caught the Ilkeston Flyer, just a 25 minute journey though some attractive countryside. We then caught the Allestree bus which is just round the corner from the gloriously named McTurk Kebab takeaway. It’s a five minute journey to the Five Lamps and the bus stops right outside.

Homely Real Fires

The Pub was Buzzing!

We arrived around noon, and the pub was already buzzing. We were immediately struck by the pub’s vibrant atmosphere. Fantastic! No music, just a pleasant burble of conversation.

The interior is bright, cosy and stylish. Wood panelling and welcoming real fires in smart fireplaces adorned with glittering brass ornaments provide a pleasant, homely feel.

The pub is quite large and has a central bar. The space is divided up into lots of little nooks and crannies where it’s possible to tuck yourself away if you’ve got a mind to. In one, a family was enjoying lunch with their kiddies and a dog, in another a man was taking advantage of the free wifi to catch up with his work using his laptop. In another a couple of people were enjoying their pints with their noses in newspapers. The seating is comfortable, with lots of plush leather armchairs and round-the-wall seating.

Lounge

Top Notch Food!

The pub was filling up fast, so we thought we’d better check out the menu and order lunch. The menu is unpretentious, and it’s got all the usual pub grub favorites. But this is definitely not “the usual pub grub”! The food is absolutely top notch. High quality, very fresh, and the portions are generous. We selected the ploughman’s lunch for two at £6.50. I’d give it ten out of ten for presentation, taste, value and freshness.

Eleven Locally Sourced Cask Ales

As to the beer, the eleven cask ales provided us with plenty to think about! The beer was beautifully presented and well kept. According to their website, they select their beers from Buxton, Whim, Peak and Burton breweries and many more from around Derbyshire.

What a great asset a pub like this is to a community, with its sensational range of cask ale, home cooked food, free wifi, all in warm and comfortable cheerful surroundings.

Tom also suggested we might include the Horse and Groom on our day out which he describes as “a sensitively refurbished drinklng local with good music in the evenings”. Sadly, on this day we ran out of time and had to head back to Nottingham (via the excellent Exeter Arms) but I’m keen to make a repeat visit to the Five Lamps when we’ll also drop by the Horse and Groom.

(In case you were wondering, this part of Derby is called the Five Lamps after an impressive ornate wrought iron lamp standard cast by the Weatherhead, Glover & Co foundry who were famous for the elegance of their castings in the early nineteenth century).

Eleven Cask Ales

Wood Panelling