When you arrive at Piccadilly train station an hour early, what more is there to do than stop off somewhere for a quick pint? Conveniently, the station has its own pub - The Mill - located on the first floor of the building. I’ve walked past frequently, or popped in to use their loo, but had never actually sat down to sample the menu.
I’d been informed by a friend that the prices were a little on the luxurious side, but with the price of seemingly everything on the rise as a result of the cost of living crisis, I had assumed that perhaps everything just feels a bit dearer at the moment.
Heading up the stairs to the pub I noticed they were still serving breakfast for the next half an hour, so I grabbed a seat in an empty booth and opened up the menu via a QR code on the table.
READ MORE: Hacks for cheap deals and freebies at McDonalds, KFC, Greggs, Starbucks & more
Inside the pub is quite nice, actually. Exposed brick walls and an industrial vibe almost reminded me of Peter Street’s Brewdog - but it’s very much got that chain vibe you get like when you visit a Hungry Horse or Farmhouse Inn.
Interested to see exactly what my friend meant by the prices being steep, I headed straight to the beer menu, which was the first instance of needing to pick my jaw up off the table - there would be at least two other occasions to come, so sit tight.
There are seven different beers available on the menu, the cheapest being Fosters at £4.90 a pint, followed by John Smith, at £4.99. However, I prefer a craft beer, and ordered the Beavertown Neck Oil IPA, instead.
The menu indicated that this would cost £3.69+, which turned out to be the price of a half - a pint would be an eye watering £6.99. For context, the British Beer and Pub Association say the average price of a pint in the UK is £4.07, but in Manchester, it was approximated to be £3.93 at the start of the year.
I ordered the pint, along with a packet of Tyrrells sea salt cider vinegar crisps, too, bringing my total to £9.18. Nearly £10 for a pint and bag of crisps!
I was feeling peckish, so I also ordered a croissant. French pastry, beer and crisps isn’t exactly a breakfast of champions, but it would pass the time while the rain hammered down on the city.
Moments after paying for my order on my phone, a waitress came over and said: “Hello, I just wanted to let you know that there will be a 15-20 minute wait on the croissant.” I very politely said: “That’s fine!” But raised my eyebrow after she left wondering why it took so long to deliver a croissant - unless they were cooked fresh, which, in fairness, it appears they are.
My Beavertown IPA and packet of crisps arrived, the beer in a very decorative glass which sadly, wasn’t included in the price of the beer. You can however, purchase the glass online at Beavertown for LESS than what I paid for the actual beer.
The craft beer itself was very nice - light, zingy and a bit of a ‘gateway craft beer’; ideal for those who haven’t had much experience with it. It’s classed as a ‘session IPA’, which essentially means it goes down almost a bit too easy. It was pleasant, but did it taste of liquid gold worth £6.99? Probably not.
I was already half way down my glass when my croissant arrived, complete with butter and jam, but I was in complete disbelief when I cut into it with my knife to discover the dough was still raw inside. They’d have definitely been leaving the Bake Off tent this week, if I were Paul Hollywood.
I took the croissant back up to the bar and explained that the pastry was still raw in the centre, and they came over to take it away and said they’d replace it. I slumped back into my booth with my beer, and waited 20 minutes for a second croissant. Meanwhile, the gentleman on the table next to me was having a rather loud and heated argument on the phone with, presumably, his girlfriend, which made waiting all the more unbearable as I could have crawled under the table to avoid the awkwardness.
When croissant number two arrived, it had a bit more colour to it and inside I was pleased to see it was, well - baked. Being warm, the butter melted straight into it, and having waited so long for it, I was pretty hungry and practically inhaled it.
In my hour-long visit to The Mill, I’m not sure if I was more stunned at the prices, or being served a soggy raw croissant. I can’t say I’ll be in a rush to head back, but it’s certainly an experience I won’t forget any time soon.
READ NEXT:
- Plug-in heated device that costs 3p an hour to run could replace your tumble drier this winter
- Primark selling £8 oversized scarves ‘identical’ to £220 Acne Studios one
- Everything stores are doing to help shoppers amid cost of living crisis
- I tried a kettle-one cup hybrid and it’s the best way to make a brew and save energy
-
Shoppers swear by affordable Oodie dupes from £10 to save money on heating
