White Swan (Raw)

No Longer In Business

Opposite the church with the crooked spire. Good tap selection of Raw and other breweries and a reasonable bottle selection. Free wifi. You can sit outside too. Recommended

Great dance floor and music selection.

Visited around midnight on Friday 20/05/16. The place was open till one but there were only half a dozen or so other folks still drinking, our group effectively doubled the numbers. As such the service in this single roomed pub, that is smartly turned out with polished wooden floors and comfortable seating, was very prompt. 12 cask lines dispensing 3 or 4 of their own, Raw, brews - the rest in the main local micros, with the strange exception of GK Abbot! We picked up a good couple of late night ticks before stumbling down the hill to the Ibis. Rich the Villain also convinced the bar staff to play some of his favourite tunes and formed a one man disco ! Friendly place combined with a good number of local cask ticks. Well recommended !

More eatery than pub, but that doesn’t stop the beer selection at the White Swan from being amazing. 12 casks on handpull, ranging from 3.7 to 7% and featuring such impressive outfits such as Waen, Blue Monkey and Great Heck as well as two beers from Raw. There’s also a reasonable if predictable bottle selection, but the casks will provide an impressive source of ticks. I just wish it felt more, I don’t know... intimate. Of the three pubs I visited in town, I took to this one the least, but that’s a compliment to Chesterfield as opposed to a slight on this establishment.

At the opposite side of the church to the Rutland Arms (and close to Spa Lane Vaults), the White Swan is owned by the Raw brewing company. They have about 12 casks, six keg taps and around 60 bottles, with Raw Mucky Duck and - incongruously - Abbot Ale being their only two regulars. The rest are guests and there was a good choice when I was there. The place has been given a very nice makeover so it feels spacious and modern. It’s arranged with a dining area at the front and an area for more casual drinking by the bar. My only slight criticism (and it’s not important) is that the barman, although very friendly and chatty, didn’t seem to know the first thing about the local beer scene or, indeed, about what he was serving, but you can’t always have everything. (Visited 12 February 2015).

A very decent revamp of an old existing pub by Raw Brewery, surprisingly there are not so many of their own beers available, but quite an extensive range of guests. It’s a little modern and slick inside for some tastes but still comfortable enough. Not a great deal of beer talk from the girls on the bar. It is certainly worth a visit and is one of three really good pubs in Chesterfield.

Visited on 7th March 2014. A short walk from the Railway station and on the edge of town. A good start to a weekend with a decent selection of Raw beers and other guests, mainly from the locality. Nice conversion but does feel a bit clinical hence the ambiance down a point. Definitely a highlight and a great addition to the Chesterfield "scene"

Very good range across cask, keg, and a suprisingly well stocked fridge. One surprise is that for a Raw Brewery pub they don’t have that much Raw beers, putting more emphasis on guest cask ales. Without doubt worth a visit when in Chesterfield.

Easily the best pub in Chesterfield. Decent range of ales on cask(about 10), many from local breweries. A few craft kegs also, seen beers from Arbor, Magic Rock and Kernal on tap. Fairly large selection of craft bottled beers from UK, Europe and the US. Smart modern comfortable interior. Reasonable prices considering the central location. If visiting Chesterfield this place is a must.

good lineup of Raw beers and a good if sometimes uninspiring range of cask guests, usually at least one decent beer on keg. Prices good compared to other pubs in town, and pretty reasonable for keg too. The (extensive) bottle selection does seem rather expensive, though I haven’t bought any so haven’t included them in value rating!