Tucked away above Marple Bridge this cosy boozer has roaring fires, pub classics and winter walk inspiration
The venison and ale pie with mashed potato, red cabbage, baby carrots and a red wine, cranberry and rosemary gravy (Image: MEN)
Tucked away amongst rolling hills and stone cottages sits a pub known locally as “The Hare”. Situated at Mill Brow, a quiet hamlet with stunning views all around, this historic pub is a genuine hidden gem.
The Hare & Hounds, to give it its full name, has stood at the very far edge of Stockport for over 200 years and is a traditional boozer where the owners make no apologies for the lack of jukebox or fruit machine. Here, instead of any gimmicks, you’ll find roaring fires, wooden beams and cosy seating nooks where the hours pass by with ease.
It depends who you ask, but for some this is a go-to countryside stop-off after a walk around the surrounding areas of Mellor, Marple Bridge and Compstall, while for others, they’ll skip the walk altogether, drive straight there and tuck into some proper pub grub – there’s familiar classics but also some really inventive takes on the menu here too.
The Hare & Hounds pub at Mill Brow (Image: MEN)
In 2023, the gastro-pub was taken over by Ryan and Becky Oliver – though Ryan was already head chef at the venue when the previous landlord decided to retire, which presented the pair with a unique opportunity. Part of the Robinsons Brewery pub collection, it’s somewhere that’s been on my list for a while, and just before the end of the year I finally made the trip.
Just a few minutes off the Glossop Road, we visited the pub on a bit of a whim, completely forgetting it was New Year’s Eve and how popular it would be on a chilly, late December day. Fortuitously, there was space for two at the back in a little room overlooking the bar giving us a prime spot watching the comings and goings.
Walkers pulled off muddy boots, couples were having one last meal before the New Year celebrations and old friends caught up over a couple of real ales, while bartenders discussed the pros and cons of venturing out into Manchester to see out 2025 – the latter deciding better of it and opting to stay in the hills above the city.
The chicken salt crisps at The Hare & Hounds (Image: MEN)
Scanning the menu, my eyes lit up at the bar snacks. Alongside bread and olives, two other options piqued my interest – frickles with lemon dill mayonnaise (£7.50) and chicken salt crisps (£6). They were pricey but something about the crisps called out to me.
Nibbled on alongside a pint of Guinness – there’s also Unicorn Bitter and Dizzy Blonde on the taps, as well as draught options like Weston’s Cider, Helles, Veltins and pale ales – the crisps not only came out hot (a first for me), but were similar to Walkers Sensations Chicken & Thyme but dialled up to 1,000 – utterly sensational. They looked like ordinary crisps, but were like the savoury equivalent of Willy Wonka experiment.
Though we were staying for a meal, I quickly made a mental note to come back at some point soon after a walk and simply to sidle up to the bar, order a pint and order more of these crisps. Great bar snacks really are a marker of a standout boozer in my books.
Though it pained me not to try them, we gave the starters a miss on this occasion, aware that the mains didn’t skimp on size. The prawn toast scotch egg with sweet chilli sauce (£11), and cheese and truffle pudding with brown sauce, parmesan and pickles (£10) sounded delightful though and seeing tables around us tuck in did make me a tad envious.
The longing soon subsided though when a tiny cup and saucer arrived at the table – a complimentary appetiser from the chef. A celeriac, honey and mustard concoction resembling soup was delicious – creamy and earthy with a bit of sweetness from the vegetable, a sharp tang from the mustard and floral honey notes.
We had pondered the mains for a while, conscious that we were looking at a seriously accomplished and well devised menu.
The venison and ale pie with mashed potato, red cabbage, baby carrots and a red wine, cranberry and rosemary gravy (Image: MEN)
Divided between ‘Pub Favourites’ including a venison burger with pulled pork and Monteray, and black truffle gnocchi, wild mushrooms, caramelised onion, pine nuts and Chimichurri, and mains such as the 8oz flat iron steak, chalk stream trout and pork belly with octopus and chorizo, we ended up keeping it traditional and hearty for our last meal of 2025.
Agreeing to share two mains – Venison and Ale Pie, and Battered Haddock with Triple Cooked – both arrived at the table looking the part. The pie, about the size of a large palm glistened, its carefully pleated edges and caramelised top almost too good to cut into. The knife slid through revealing large hunks of meat, which we quickly crammed onto our forks.
Tender, rich and indulgent it’s exactly what a hearty pub pie should be. Silky smooth mash potato, a rather large bed of red cabbage with real bite and two rather slinky carrots – I would have liked a couple more – round it off, while gravy – an assembly of red wine, cranberry and rosemary felt and tasted thoroughly festive.
Battered haddock, triple cooked chips, black peas and tartare sauce (Image: MEN)
A tough act to follow, the slim but beautifully battered haddock served on a bed of perfectly wonky and crispy chips were up next. There was something deeply satisfying about the fork scrapping across the batter and revealing beautiful flecks of fried fish which were swiftly scooped up and dabbed into the tartare sauce.
The chips were wonderfully crisp and soft inside, but I did miss the mushy peas which were subbed out for black peas. In truth, they were a little grainy and didn’t quite hit the spot in the same way the usual trio of fried fish, chips and mushy peas do.
Desserts were just as appealing, with the white chocolate, raspberry and pink peppercorn parfait with salted honeycomb a tempting proposition. It’s always good to be left wanting a little more though, and now I have a convenient excuse to come back to The Hare & Hounds – a fabulous countryside boozer – sooner rather than later.
19 Mill Brow, Marple Bridge, Stockport SK6 5LW