 A beautiful setting 
THE Summer Pub In Birmingham
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Recommendation added: 21/06/2006 10:37
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +649)dewberry has been thanked 8 times for this contribution
"A lovely place to spend a few hours in the summer is The Hopwood House in the South Birmingham area. I first started visiting here as a child as, as I remember, it was (then) the only pub in the local area which welcomed children.
The pub itself is a large old building which sits on the bank of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal; it looks very traditional and pretty from the outside with a large wooded grassy area encompassing the pub and car park.
Inside, The Hopwood House is divided into a huge lounge/restaurant and a smaller bar area. I prefer to sit in the bar as the atmosphere is great; this room tends to be used by both the canal boat residents who moor up alongside the pub and fishermen popping in for a quick pint between casts. It's a very chatty bar, and nine times out of ten you'll get into a conversation with a stranger simply because the room is so small that it's impossible to have a private conversation! The décor in here is great too, pictures on the wall depict 'the one that got away' and other amusing fishing and boating anecdotes.
The larger lounge area is decorated much more sophisticatedly with beautiful wallpaper and plush velvet curtains, which in my opinion makes for an upmarket and relaxing place to eat. Space between the tables is adequate to manoeuvre around without bumping other diners and the seating arrangements range in size from cosy tables for two to tables which will comfortably seat twelve, making The Hopwood House ideal for family get togethers.
One way of eating at The Hopwood House is to order a selection of their fantastic starters and have them all served at the same time, creating a kind of private buffet. There's plenty to choose from and all come in large enough portions to let everyone sample something from each plate. I usually order one of the Platters to Share which consists of scampi, breaded prawns, chicken satay, battered mushrooms, chips and dips. Everything is freshly cooked at the time of your order, so no soggy mushrooms here! The food is always delicious; cooked to perfection and not floating in grease like so many Platter meals I've eaten at other places. My children particularly enjoy eating these kinds of meal as it's more exciting for them than sitting down to a stodgy roast with a knife and fork. Along with our Platter, I'll also order a portion of garlic bread and a couple of other dishes from the menu which brings the total food bill to around £20 with the added bonus of there NEVER being any waste when eating this way because what one person doesn't like another one will eat! Saves a lot of frustration when dining with kids as children are notorious for ordering a £7 meal and then proceeding to say they're not hungry…
The 'proper' menu is also brilliant. The Hopwood House has an extensive selection of both traditional pub food and more innovative items. The steak is a pretty good choice, being cooked to your specifications and served with a choice of chips and peas or boiled/jacket potatoes and salad. This meal, as do most of the rest, costs £8.95 which is a great price considering the large portion you'll get. For dessert, my children will invariably choose ice cream from the special kids menu and this comes with Smarties and a choice of sauce – they love this aspect of their meal as they're fully in control when the waitress asks how they'd like the ice cream served. I, of course, shun the ice cream and go straight for the delicious Melting Chocolate Cake which is a light chocolate sponge filled with masses of (you guessed it) rich melted chocolate.
The Hopwood House specialises in Bank's Beer, with all its variations available behind the bar along with a couple of guest ales which change regularly. Lager, branded spirits and alcopops are also well stocked along with a particularly extensive wine menu. Drinks are always correctly served (temperature, clean glasses etc.) and reasonably priced.
Disabled access isn't great, it's possible for people with mobility problems to visit but because of the structural layout of the pub it could be awkward. Two of the three entrances are up a steep flight of concrete stairs which it would be impossible to get a wheelchair up, the third entrance is ground level but this leads into the bar rather than the restaurant and there are steps dotted around inside for you to navigate. When I visit with my mum, who has severe asthma and can't climb the stairs, we go through the ground level entrance and walk through to the restaurant area and this is fine for her but people who have trouble with steps will struggle.
Outside, The Hopwood House have provided a safe and fun children's assault course which is fully fenced off and has soft wood chips on the floor in case of a fall. Parents are advised to watch their children as there are no designated members of staff working in the play area. This is made easy by the placement of several benches alongside the play area so you can sit and enjoy your drink in the sun while the kids burn off some energy. From here you're practically on top of the canal so we'll usually have a wander down the tow path towards the nearby pig farm, which is very relaxing if somewhat smelly!
The car park is absolutely massive; having room I'd say for over 100 cars with several disabled spaces located next to the entrance. It's well lit at night, which is most welcome considering this pub is on one of the darkest (and scariest!) roads in Birmingham.
To find The Hopwood House you need to go by car. There's no train station within walking distance and buses along this route are erratic to say the least – so erratic, in fact, that it's not worth me giving you the bus numbers as they'll probably have changed by the time you visit! You need to drive through Birmingham along the A38 Bristol Road, turning right at the (now defunct) Rover car plant along Longbridge Lane which is signposted for Kings Norton. Drive along this road to the roundabout at the end, and turn right onto the Redditch Road. The Hopwood House is located roughly one mile along this road, well signed on the right hand side.
The Hopwood House
Redditch Road
Hopwood
Alvechurch
Birmingham
B48 7AB
Tel – 0121 4451716"
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