Polly's x Mold Alehouse
Mold Alehouse, 2, Earl Chambers, Earl Rd, Mold CH7 1AL
Robyn Gilmour
Saturday 14 December 2024
This article is from
Love Your Pub
issue 112
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Gareth Jones has a warm, easy demeanor, even over the phone. He speaks like a person whose pipe dream came true, and it’s just a bonus that Mold Alehouse earned national acclaim for the community spirit it fosters. Of course, Gareth is proud to own and run CAMRA’s Welsh pub of the year, making it one of the 16 best pubs in the UK. It’s been eight years of hard graft since he and wife Rebecca took over the site of a long-closed cafe, with a dream of opening a micropub. Gareth had never worked in hospitality before, but as he puts it, “spent plenty of time researching from the other side of the bar”.
His passion for beer was enough to fuel a leap of faith from his unfulfilling job into the great unknown. Cask was then what held the key to his heart, and so cask is what he sold. No keg, no spirits, just cask, wine and real cider. Much remains the same at the pub today, though customer requests for keg eventually won Gareth over. “All the focus is on the beer,” he says, adding that there isn't even any TV or music to distract from the experience. The setup might sound ascetic, but the experience of which Gareth speaks couldn’t be further from it.
“A lot of customers have told me that they’ve made fantastic friends in this pub,” says Gareth. “You can be a stranger, come into town and join the conversation here. People say they feel comfortable coming to the pub on their own, knowing that you can pull up a chair to the conversation and get involved.”
This sense of safety and welcome extends to a trust in Gareth’s opinion as a beer aficionado and publican. Nothing stays still in Mold Alehouse. There are no regular taps, meaning that returning customers don’t come in for ‘the usual’. They trust that out of Gareth’s selection for the week, there’s something they’ll enjoy.
“Several regular customers will come in with friends, and when they get to ordering say ‘Gareth will choose mine’. Other times they’ll order something and I’ll say ‘I don’t know if that’s for you, try this one instead’, and I’m usually right. I always say that part of the fun is trying different things. You might come in here and try the best beer you’ve ever had, then you come back the next week and try something better because you didn't order the same thing as last time. We have a consistent selection of styles on offer, but the beer itself will always be different, and could come from the UK or further afield.”
Gareth has a strong relationship with all his suppliers, especially those in Mold, and Wales more broadly. For example, Polly’s Brew Co is celebrating its upcoming birthday with a series of collaboration brews, and after the brewday Mold Alehouse is hosting a tap-takeover for the visiting breweries. Such close yet casual collaboration is not common between stockist and supplier, though Mold Alehouse is obviously so much more than a client.
“Mold Alehouse holds a special place in our journey, being among the first to proudly stock our beers back in early 2018,” says Polly’s founder and managing director Sean Wheldon. “From day one, they’ve been champions of our modern brews, introducing them to Mold's beer enthusiasts and helping boost our local popularity. Over time, they've become our unofficial taproom. They’ve crafted a warm, friendly atmosphere that invites conversation and connection. Every visit feels memorable, thanks to their dedication to pairing great beer with an even greater vibe.
“By spotlighting local beers and ciders, The Alehouse has cemented itself as a beloved spot in Mold, where guests always enjoy a warm welcome and a fantastic drinking experience. Gareth and Rebecca’s passion and hard work have not only uplifted our brand but also enriched the local beer scene. This is just one of the many reasons we've chosen them for our Love Your Pub collaboration brew. We owe them a lot, and this partnership is the perfect way to celebrate their contributions. We’re both massive fans of rich, bold stouts. This — coupled with the fact we’re heading into the colder months — made the style a perfect fit.”
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