This involved a mini pub-crawl spanning from the Hop Emporium to the Tavern and finishing off at The Albion.

Yes, you read that right, I managed to convince my boss to let me do a pub crawl for work. This is what I found at the three best pubs in Warrington.

The Hop Emporium

First stop was the Hop Emporium, a cute little bar situated within Warrington Market.

As a result of the location there were endless food options, with the two stalls closest being ‘Wholesome Junkies’, a vegan junk food place, and ‘Shawarma and more’, a self-explanatory title.

I collected my falafel wrap from ‘Shawarma and more’ and went over to introduce myself on the first leg of my odyssey across Warrington.

After I finished bugging the workers for the story, I sat down with a paddle of three mini pints of their recommended favourite IPAs, a Citra Star IPA, a Cloud Shake, and the aptly named Film Club.

Film Club was the highlight, with a genuine popcorn taste. Whilst the Cloud Shake was highly rated, I am clearly not grown up enough yet to force myself to enjoy a Raspberry IPA.

The bar was overall a great time, and probably the one I’d be most likely to return to. The market’s vibes were immaculate, and the numerous food options means that it’s the perfect location for a post-work pint.

Assistant manager Domino Giani, 26, spoke of the fact that all three pubs on the list were independents, and said, “I feel like when you’re a chain things can be a little robotic but with places like this it can be really good, it’s in a family venue as well.”

The Tavern

Lightly buzzed due to the falafel wrap absolutely not being enough food as pub-crawl prep, I moved on to The Tavern, who have been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 25 years according to the landlord.

The Tavern is your typical sports pub, with tickets and memorabilia papered across every wall, and with TVs on every corner they show any sport you could want.

After going for an Old School IPA from the owner’s family brewery 4T’s, I sat down to chat with a group of regulars to get a feel for the pub.

Two ended up being CAMRA members who voted in the most recent guide, Brian Davis, 73, and Phil Wisedale, 61. Brian said that The Tavern was like ‘Cheers’ in that “everybody knows your name”.

The pair also told me about compost corner, a site for regulars who have died in which pictures and memorial plaques are put up.

I then spoke to owner Matthew Wilkinson, 27, who described his pride in being on the list “It’s a family run business, been in the family for 20+ years, and as we’ve been in the Good Beer Guide for 25 years you know that locals and regulars really support us."

A proper sports bar with a community atmosphere, The Tavern is the perfect place for watching the upcoming Football world cup as well as any Warrington Wolves' games. 

The Albion

After several more than the work recommended half pint at The Tavern, I stumbled my way over to The Albion ready to finish the story and begin my night at ‘PJs’ in town.

The Albion was a lovely pub, a real mix of the old-school vibes of The Tavern and the fun atmosphere of Hop Emporium.

That said, there was only one focus as soon as I made it in: the local celebrity and Albion pub dog Mabel, 2.

Mabel (Left) and Ronnie Lee, 62, (Right) (Image: Newsquest)

Owner Ronnie Lee, 62, a regular in The Albion, spoke of how the staff would hide “Mabel’s stool” until he came by with her, and how other regulars will buy Mabel her favourite snack, mini-Cheddars, as soon as they arrive.

As well as this, he raved about their happy hour deal in which pints are only £2.50 between 3pm and 7pm, and how the pub not being owned by a brewery gave them full control over their selection.

Having pet Mabel and sampled a lovely lager from The Albion my journey was complete. I had visited the three best pubs in all of Warrington and they had lived up to the hype, setting me and my new best friend Mabel up perfectly for a classically classy Warrington night out.