Ye Olde Blue Bell is a digital device-free zone – so our visit was drawn instead!
If you’ve ever walked past Hull Minster on Market Place, you’ve probably come across an intriguing alley with a bell hanging above the entrance. Gothic script proclaims it is “Ye Olde Blue Bell”, one of the many bars in Hull’s Old Town.
The pub has a long history and I’ve heard stories about popular folk music nights that used to be held in the upstairs rooms. But I was surprised to discover it is currently a Samuel Smith pub, linked to the Yorkshire brewery that has famously “strict” rules about what you can and cannot do in its pubs.
This becomes immediately obvious when you try to search reviews for photographs customers have taken of the pub’s interior – there are none. This is due to the “no mobile phones” rule, aimed to encourage conversations instead of endless doom-scrolling.
Rather than putting me off, it had the opposite effect, so I decided to give Ye Olde Blue Bell a try. My colleagues were also keen on the idea, so we ended up getting the whole band together.
I paused for a photo opportunity underneath the blue bell outside, then we all tucked our phones away in preparation for the digital detox. We arrived in a charming courtyard beer garden, shaded by high walls on every side but very cosy with table benches and flower boxes.
From memory, the interior was typical of your welcoming old-style pub: whitewashed walls decorated with random knick-knacks, polished wooden tables, leather-covered bar stools. A chalkboard sign reminded customers of the no swearing and no mobile phone rules.
My first impression was that it was nice not to have music blaring out of speakers. Music tastes are subjective; half the time, other people’s playlists are irritating.
Not too long ago, I was trying to enjoy an afternoon pint in a picturesque spot next to the Humber when Brit Pop began to explode out of the sound system. Fine for a night out, but sometimes music can kill the atmosphere rather than contribute to it.
The bar had a good range of Samuel Smith real ales and lagers. We got Old Brewery Bitter and Taddy Lagers. For three pints, it came to a very reasonable £11.
Quality-wise, the drinks were superb. The Taddy lager was refreshing, nicely carbonated, with a slightly dry finish. The Old Brewery Bitter was a deep amber colour and incredibly smooth, with a delicious flavour balanced between malty and hoppy.
We also got a large glass of red wine. There was only one red wine to choose, but it was fruity, fairly dry, and highly drinkable, having no astringent aftertaste.
Described as having a very malty flavour, the alcohol-free Sam’s Brown Ale was well received. We also ate our way through endless packs of Lister’s Crisps, made from potatoes locally grown in Yorkshire.
The regulars were very friendly and happy to chat which was pleasant. For a mid-week night, there were quite a few people and a convivial atmosphere.
What do you do in a pub with no music, no phones, slot machines, or TVs? Well for a start you can talk, which is nice. There are also books, a darts board, and two immaculate pool tables in the games room upstairs.
One of our group loves drawing and brought along a sketchbook to commemorate the night out, since we would not be able to take the usual two-pints-deep selfie. Not using our phones proved a challenge for some.
Every now and again, a debate would start up and someone would automatically want to Google the point of contention to prove they were right (or discover they were wrong). Also, someone would occasionally want to share a photo of something they were talking about, then realise it was against the rules.
But it only happened a couple of times, and it was good to keep the focus on conversation. The one time we were caught out, we were (politely) reminded of the rule and the phone was hastily put away.
Our group was a mix of ages between 23 and 35, but none of us thought these rules were “harsh” or “behind the times”. Mostly, what we cared about was quality of the drinks which can’t be exaggerated.
In fact, the verdict was unanimous: we would all return. Less than a week later, we were back and the pints were just as delicious (and cheap) as before.
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