“I must be,” laughs Ash Ayling at the suggestion that he was crazy to have planned opening Burton’s newest pub Beeropolis during a pandemic.
Beeropolis will be Ash’s second venture after Bodell’s in Swadlincote and like Bodell’s this is in partnership with Pete Spittles from The Last Heretic. The pair took the lease of what was The Fuggle & Nugget on High Street in Burton upon Trent back in October 2020.
“We’ve completely refurbished the venue from the Fuggle & Nugget,” explains Ash. “I felt it was important to have a bar as a focal point, as during normal times its is the first place you walk up to in the pub. We’ve also removed the high seating to hopefully provide a more warmer and cosy feel.”
The pub decor is a celebration of Burton’s brewing history, with mirrors, labels and old pictures adorning the walls. The name is taken from a 1902 play on the word Metropolis which saw Burton described as “one vast brewery … a very City of Beer – Beeropolis.”
The pub promises to have a different approach to The Last Heretic.
“There will be more of a focus on craft keg than purely cask ale,” says Ash. “We’ve got twelve keg lines and a huge fridge full of some unusual cans: Amundsen, Brew York, Neon Raptor, Staggeringly Good and some other great craft breweries around the UK.”
For those with a more traditional taste don’t worry there’s plenty of Real Ale to be drunk.
“We have four handpulls, however expect to have around three Real Ales on at one time. If there’s sufficient demand, there will be four all the time; in Bodell’s we opened with eight cask lines, but sadly there doesn’t seem to sufficient demand to sustain them in Swadlincote. I hope the drinkers of Burton can prove otherwise,” laughs Ash. If there’s one thing Burton drinkers like, it’s a beer drinking challenge, especially against Swad!
Beeropolis opens to the general public this Thursday at 4pm although there is a soft opening for CAMRA members on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately due to the ongoing restrictions we’re limited with what we can do with regards a Grand Opening however we hope to have plenty of great and unusual beers to entice people down on our opening weekend.”
OPENING HOURS
Wed & Thu 1600-2200
Fri & Sat 1500-2230
Sun 1300-1900