The Butcher’s Hook

The Butcher’s Hook Alehouse, 7 Manor Farm Rd, Southampton SO18 1NN

Located in a single shop-front on the Bittern Park Triangle about three miles northeast of Southampton City Centre, The Butchers Hook is the oldest Micropub in Southampton, and can reasonably claim to have sparked what is arguably the largest collection of Micropubs in any UK City. The pub is at the centre of a small local parade of shops, with a view over the river Itchen.

Formerly a butcher’s shop, the venue retains attractive ceramic tiling throughout. The serving area is located at the back, and there is indoor seating for about 25 people, with further seating on the pavement at the front for perhaps another 20 or so, when weather permits.

The Butchers Hook has seven keg lines, and serves a further three cask beers, backed- up by several well-stocked fridges. We visited on the occasion of their tenth birthday celebrations which featured ten specially commissioned collab beers including the likes of Emperors, Little Earth Project, Phantom, Siren and Makemake.

The Butchers is run with great enthusiasm by two guys who are both called Ant, and they run regular tap takeovers and other events. There is a thriving homebrew club based at the venue, who contributed to one of the anniversary beers, a superb BA Imperial Milk Stout. brewed at local Southampton Brewery Dancing Man.

Although the Butchers Hook doesn’t serve food other than crisps and nuts, they are literally next door to an Indian restaurant, opposite two fish and chip shops, and a few doors down from the Southampton institution that is Plested Bakehouse, which sells pies and pasties to die for!

One thing that really stood out was the enthusiasm of the local customers, as they turned out in force early on Friday afternoon, and we are assured a vibrant and friendly crowd is to be found whenever the doors are open for business.