Deri Inn, Cardiff

Deri Inn, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, CF14 6UH
Open all day

Pubs are few and far between in this northern suburb of Cardiff as this area was originally owned by the Cory family, supporters of the Temperance Movement who also gave their name to nearby Coryton. The Deri Inn was not built until the 1970s and was originally owned by Welsh Brewers and was once a Toby Carvery, today this pub is run by Ember Inns who are a division of Mitchells & Butlers. The pub was named after the oak trees that gave their name to this road, though today Monkey Puzzle trees grow outside the pub. The pub is a short walk from the railway station at Rhiwbina or alternatively there is a bus stop nearby (No 21 or 23, Cardiff City Centre - Rhiwbina - Whitchurch - Cardiff City Centre).

The Deri Inn is set back from the main road with an extensive car park to the rear, and plenty of outdoor seating, including a wooden-framed heated smoking shelter. The 1970s are not regarded as a classic era for pub design however the interior of the Deri Inn more than makes up for the rather bland exterior. A large and ornate wooden bar features a copper handrail on one side and 5 copper-plated handpumps serving real ales, another 3 handpumps are around the corner of the bar. Brains Bitter is a permanent feature on the bar and the other beers are guest beers from breweries around the UK such as Lancaster, Orkney, and RCH. For the month of November, the Deri Inn ran a beer festival with a range of specially commissioned beers featuring on the bar every week, the final one of these is Project Venus, brewed by a bevy of brewsters or female brewers from across Britain and Ireland. Sue from the Waen Brewery in Powys has had some input into this beer which is described as a Black IPA. Fullers Honey Dew and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are also available in bottles.
During December, Eat Drink and Be Jolly, an East Coast Pale Ale, based on Adnams’ Champion Pale Ale recipe, will be one of the guest beers available.

The Deri Inn has 3 fireplaces which help break up the interior into separate areas – with distinct 'pub' and 'dining' areas, though there is some overspill into the 'pub' area for diners. There is also a discrete area to the side of the bar with glass partitions. The pub serves traditional pub food all day, with specialities on
boards on the bar such as fish in batter made from one of the guest beers on the bar. There is also a chalkboard offering bar snacks such as olives and warsarbi peas.
The Deri features live music on Saturday nights and there are quiz nights on Tuesdays and Sundays.

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Ember Inns launch 4 cask ales for November

Ember Inns, a division of M & B are launching 4 new cask ales this November, or NovEmber as they have called it.
Only Ember Inn in South Wales is the Deri Inn, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6UH.

Here's the blurb from M & B:
"We have four ales in our festival that are fast, eco-friendly, female-friendly and even inspired by a famous music band...one for each week from 1st of NovEmber at The Deri Inn.
Special stories, unique ales

If ales could talk, what would they say? Well, the four special ales in our NovEmber cask festival have some interesting stories to tell:
Project Green - known as 'the fastest ale on Earth' where the whole brewing process from field to glass takes only 100 hours
Build a Rocket Boys! - created by the band Elbow, this golden ale has a rich rounded body, smooth bitterness, subtle tang of malt and a fruity aroma
Pure Gold - one of the most eco-friendly ales in the country, this is a refreshing golden ale with a dry and bitter finish
Venus Black - a team of seven British and Irish female brewers make this tasty black IPA"

Okay good to see M & B do something like this but 'the fastest ale on earth' - I understand it uses green hops, freshly picked but was the grain freshly malted as well? If not then its hardly 100 hours from field to glass.
Never heard of the band Elbow so I'm a bit of a loss with this one - had to look them up on Wikipedia and still at a loss as to what their songs are. Still they seem to have put Ramsbottom on the map.
Pure Gold - eco-friendly? Well beer is 97% water and as the old saying goes you don't buy beer you just rent it.
Venus Black - female brewsters involved? Hoepfully this beer won't have a yeast infection anytime!

Ember Inns Summer selection

With the constant changes going through Mitchells & Butlers at the moment its good to see that their Ember Inns division is still doing a selection of real ales. The Old Cottage in Lisvane has been taken out of the Ember Inns division and rebranded in the Premium Country Dining Group, leaving only the Deri Inn in Rhiwbina as the sole Ember Inn in South Wales. Not that their website allows you to find though, type in 'Cardiff' and it does not show any pubs!


Still a good selection below:

India Pale Ales

• Wanderer by American master brewer Mike Hall and perfect for summer, 3.5%
• Harviestoun American IPA fabulously hoppy with citrus fruitiness, 5.0%
• White Horse Saracen crisp bitterness and biscuit flavours, 4.5%
• St Peter's IPA first in The Independent's Top 50 Beers, 5.5%

Speciality Brews

• Thatchers Heritage moreish medium dry cask cider with a slight bite, 4.9%
• Freeminer Speculation a multi-award winner with rich, malty flavours, 4.8%
• Black Beauty Porter dark and intense malt flavour from the Vale Brewery, 4.3%

Blonde Ales

• Ringwood Boondoggle its name means perfect reason to have a pint, 4.2%
• Caledonian Nectar with a real fruity and citrus taste, 4.3%
• Hadley's Blonde from the brewery owned by Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley, 4.0%
• Northern Star ultra pale, ultra modern and ultra hoppy, 4.1%

Golden Ales

• Golden Pippin a former CAMRA Yorkshire Champion ale, 3.9%
• Fuller's Summer Ale light, smooth and refreshing served cold, 3.9%

Best Bitters

• OSB Bronze medallist at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival, 4.5%
• Young Rev very well balanced and with nutty overtones, 3.7%

Although I would not class Freeminer Speculation as a 'Speciality' brew, nor Young Rev as a Best Bitter, or an IPA at 3.5% or Thatcher's Cider as a 'Speciality Brew' - cider is crafted not brewed!

Old Cottage, Lisvane, Cardiff

Old Cottage, Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane, Cardiff, CF14 0UE

Open all day

Situated a short walk away from Lisvane and Thornhill railway station, the Old Cottage is almost hidden from the main road, set in its own grounds in a quiet hollow. There is an extensive car park at the rear and a bus stop, number 85, on the main road. The two-story building dates from the 1780s and rough-hewn whitewashed stone walls contrast with newer parts built of brick.  The long wooden bar runs almost the length of the pub with a split-level seating area towards one side, open all the way up to the roof with some decorative wooden panelling and beams and with a brick fireplace on the ground floor. The upper seating area has a wide-screen television, only used for major sporting events. The opposite end of the pub has a real fireplace with comfortable seating, providing a distinct drinking/dining area. At the rear of the bar is a modern extension with more seating. There is also an extensive outside area, with heated canopies for smokers. Despite the age of the Old Cottage it only became a pub around 1990 when it was converted from two cottages and was originally owned by Ansells Brewery of Birmingham, part of the Ind Coope empire. Today the pub is run by Ember Inns, part of the Mitchells and Butlers pub empire. Ember Inns have an active guest beer policy with 9 handpumps on the bar, although not all are used during quiet periods. Three real ales are permanently on the bar, Fuller's London Pride, Hancock's HB and Greene King Morland Old Speckled Hen and the guest beers can be from breweries around the United Kingdom. Recent guest beers were from Lees of Manchester and even a brew from Tetley Brewery in Leeds, a brewery that will soon close down. During November the Old Cottage is playing host to a month-long beer festival that will feature beers from BrewDog, St Austell and Thornbridge breweries as well as many others. Tasting notes for the beers are available in A5 full-colour booklets on the bar – a nice touch that adds some interesting information for the real ale drinker. It's no surprise that the pub has Cask Marque accreditation.

The Old Cottage serves food all day with special offers such as Grill Nights on Tuesdays and Curry Nights on Thursdays. This popular pub also runs quiz nights on Sundays and Wednesdays.

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Traveline Cymru:

Ember Inns Festival

Ember Inns may be a part of the Mitchells and Butlers giant pub company but at least during November they are running a beer festival. Entitled NovEmber the following beers will be available in their pubs:

• Thornbridge Wild Swan white gold pale ale 3.5%
• Stonehenge Old Smokey malty and dark 5%
• Project Green - the freshest beer in the land 4.5%
• Davenport's Fox's Nob deep copper ale 4.4%
• St. Austell Black Prince fruity black mild 4%
• Brewdog Trashy Blonde statuesque fruity ale 4.1%
• Copper Dragon Black Gold a 19th century recipe, 3.7%
• Liberation Ale all the way from Jersey, 4.0%
• Fraoch Heather Ale, with real heather, 5%
• Alton's Pride, Champion at the Great British Beer Festival 3.8%
• Wolf Brewery Granny Wouldn't Like It, fruity and dark red, 4.8%
• Rampant Gryphon, sip gently, 6.2%!

There is a competition running to name the Project Green beer - the green hops were picked by Ember Inns managers last month.
The full tasting notes are available at the bar in a full colour A5 leaflet or as a PDF here.

Unfortunately there are only 2 Ember Inns in South Wales and both are in Cardiff the Old Cottage and the Deri:


View Larger MapOld Cottage, Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane, Cardiff, CF14 0UE



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Deri Inn, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6UH

For thos readers in North Wales the Acton Park in Wrexham is also an Ember Inn

Check out the Ember Inns website for pubs near to you.