The Butcher'sHook

The Butcher's Hook occupies a former butcher's shop behind the Bitterne Park Triangle clock tower, its original meat rails and tiling retained from the building's trading days. Daniel Richardson and Anthony Nicholls opened Southampton's first micropub here on 28 February 2014, with the ribbon cut by then Southampton Itchen MP John Denham. Owner Anthony Nicholls still runs the compact 3.5 by 9 metre bar, seating around two dozen drinkers on repurposed stools and benches. Up to three cask ales rotate alongside keg lines and a fridge of bottled beer from British, European and American brewers. The pub hosts a monthly Butcher's Brew Club, collaborating on one-off beers with breweries including Dancing Man, Steam Town and Unity. Dogs are welcome, board games are stacked by the bar, and customers may bring their own takeaway food to eat with a pint.