Dronfield Eye issue 211 July 2023

Welcoming bar
at The Cross
Daggers
The taste
44
Landlord
Anthony
Hutchinson
Fascinating
artefacts at
The Daggers
Coal Aston village inns offer the
warmest of welcomes - bar none!
N
O news is good news at The Cross Daggers and The Royal Oak where
customers enjoy the same warm welcome, smart surroundings and
quality drinks as they have done for year after year.
At both pubs, landlord Anthony Hutchinson does his utmost to retain the friendly
atmosphere which has served the village well for generations.
Since taking on The Daggers from his mum Christine and stepfather Derek 23
years ago, Anthony has been keen to respect the pub’s proud traditions and it is
exactly the same story at The Royal Oak. Both inns are right at the heart of village
life, but are also welcoming to visitors to Coal Aston.
“Normality has returned following the pandemic - and everyone is delighted,” said
Anthony. “Both pubs are doing well and are busy and it’s because they are lovely,
happy places to be.”
While each pub has its own character, both are traditional inns where people from
all age ranges can come together.
There are nods to the past at both venues, particulary The Daggers where there
are many village artefacts and old photographs on the walls. There are other
touches that make the place unique, including an array of banknotes from all over
the world which are affixed to the ceiling.
Down the road at The Royal Oak - still known to many as ‘The Pond’ because a
small pond was once right outside - a fluttering of butterflies adorns the pub and
customers can enjoy taking up the challenge of the historic ‘ring a bull’ game.
Anthony and his staff pride themselves on their pubs’ high standards, quality and
cleanliness. At The Daggers, there is a glass window set into the floor by the bar
which allows customers to see the immaculately kept cellar.
The pubs don’t serve food, so the focus is on extremely well-stocked bars.
Traditional, hand-pulled ales are at the heart of the offering and although these are
regularly changing, Tetleys is a mainstay as both places were once owned by the old
Yorkshire brewery.
A blonde beer, such as Farmers from Bradfield or Neepsend Blonde, is also always
on offer, together with a dark ale, Guinness and a selection of refreshing UK and
continental lagers, plus ciders which are hugely popular at this time of year.
There are dozens of different whiskies to choose from too, a large selection of gins
and also many wines.
Highlights each week are the regular quiz nights. General knowledge is the topic at
both pubs every Monday evening, then Thurday night sees a fun music quiz night at
The Royal Oak.
The village’s sports fans enjoy getting together to watch the big football matches,
Test Match cricket and tennis from Wimbledon on TV at The Daggers.