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Pub of the Season Spring 2012
The Keighley and Craven Branch Pub of the Season for Spring 2012 has been won by the The Brown Cow, Keighley. Offering four regular beers from Timothy Taylor and two guests, the Brown Cow has been in the capable hands of Barry and Carol since 2003, during which time they have won Pub of the Season on three previous occasions.
Most Improved Real Ale Outlet, Winter 2011
The consistent quality of the two real ales served in coffee lounge/wine bar/bistro/restaurant ‘Le Bistro des Amis’ has been recognised by Keighley and Craven CAMRA, who will be presenting a “Most Improved Real Ale Outlet” on the 1st February 2012. The “Rambling Drinker” explains more.
Pub of the Season Winter 2011/2012
The Keighley and Craven Branch Pub of the Season for Winter 2011/2012 has been won by the The Craven Arms, Appletreewick, North Yorkshire. Offering up to eight cask beers, the Craven is a picturesque, independently run free house in one of the prettiest villages in the Yorkshire Dales. With its unique cruck-barn, stone-flag floors and multi-room layout, the Craven offers a warm welcome to locals and visitors alike.
Special award for the Helwith Bridge Inn, Ribblesdale
The Helwith Bridge Inn has achieved 10 consecutive years in CAMRA‘s Good Beer Guide’. As recognition, on 8th November we presented owner and licensee Colin Hall, with a 10-year plaque. Click here for full details.
Haworth hosts Cask Ale Week event
Keighley and Craven Branch members enjoyed a day supporting local breweries and pubs in the Worth Valley during National Cask Ale Week. Thanks go to Mark Kelly and the team and Bridgehouse Berwery for organising an Open Day and to the pubs in Haworth who took part in the pub treasure hunt. Click here for a full report.
Good Beer Guide 2012 launched
The 2012 edition of CAMRA‘s Good Beer Guide was launched in mid-September. Featuring the best 4500 pubs in the country, the Guide is fully revised and reviewed each year by CAMRA‘s 130,000 members. Within the Keighley and Craven area over 20 pubs are listed, ranging from town-centre locals in Keighley to up-market inns in the Dales. To buy a copy on-line, click here.
Keighley Beer Festival 2011 as ever a success
The weekend of the 22nd to 24th September 2011 saw beer drinkers flock from far and wide (including three from Copenhagen) to Victoria Hall, Keighley for the 23rd Keighley Beer Festival. Over 75 cask beers from forty or more breweries in Yorkshire and beyond were on offer and most ran out by the close of play on Saturday evening. Prime campaigning focus was the ‘Porter Potter’, which encouraged punters to sample a variety of porters, a traditional dark beer that is not widely available in the area. All the porters were drunk dry and around 50 customers completed the full ‘Potter’. 42 new members joined the Campaign at the festival and lots of customers completed post-cards complaining about excessive beer tax, which will be forwarded to the Chancellor.
Beer of the festival (voted by customers) was Milton Nero from Cambridgeshire, with Kirkstall Pale Ale from Leeds coming a close second. The winners of the two regional blind tastings, judged on Thursday, were Elland 1872 Porter from Calderdale in the Porter category, and High House Farm Auld Hemp from Northumberland in the Bitter category. These two beers will go forward to CAMRA‘s national Champion Beer of Britain competitions.
Cider lovers meanwhile voted Hecks Kingston Black as their favourite. The photo right shows Fred Baker presenting Andrew Hecks with a commemorative plaque amongst the cider barrels at Hecks Cider farm in Street, Somerset.
For the pre-festival publicity and the full beer list, click here.
Pub of the Season Autumn 2011
The 100th Keighley and Craven Branch Pub of the Season (for Autumn 2011) has been awarded to the The Old Silent Inn, Stanbury, West Yorkshire. The Silent is one of the oldest pubs in the branch area and was reputedly used by Bonnie Prince Charlie as a hiding place as he fled from English troops during his retreat from Derby in 1745. It is now better known for its range of well-kept local ales and award-winning cuisine.
Skipton Beer Festival a runaway success...again
The 5th Skipton Beer Festival, which took place at Skipton Town Hall from Thursday 19th May to Saturday 21st May 2011, achieved its highest ever attendance and at close on Saturday only small quantities of only 11 beers remained. For more details (and a link to the beer list), click here.
Pub of the Year 2011
The Kings Arms, Silsden has beaten stiff competition to gain the Keighley and Craven Branch Pub of the Year 2011 award.
New leaflet to Real Ale pubs in the Worth Valley
In early December 2010 Keighley and Craven CAMRA launched a new Guide to the Real Ale pubs in the Worth Valley. In leaflet form, the guide provides information on all Real Ale outlets in Haworth and the surrounding area (Bronte Country). Copies should be available from all the pubs in the Worth Valley area, Haworth Tourist Information and several Bed and Breakfast establishments. The guide complements leaflet guides produced earlier in the year to Skipton and Keighley town centres.
