News
Taylors scoop awards .... for their Point of Sale material
Local brewer, Timothy Taylor picked up 2 awards at the Labologists Society ‘Label of the Year 2009‘ awards. Famed for their beer above all, Taylors were awarded the top two places in the ‘Point of Sale‘ category with their ‘Set of beer mats‘ knocking their ‘Set of pump-clips‘ into 2nd place. Cotleigh brewery in Somerset came 3rd with their ‘Set of 30th Anniversary pump-clips‘
Whilst the Labologists are better known as collectors of beer labels (and there were, of course, winners for those too), they also raise a lot of money for good causes. For the full list of winners in 2009 and to obtain details of their fund-raising activities, click here.
8th October 2009, updated 14th December
Freedom (or Freehold) at last for the Hare and Hounds, Lotherdale
Joe and Tracey Currie, who have been running the Hare and Hounds at Lothersdale for longer than your webmaster can remember, have recently bought the freehold of the pub from pub-chain Punch. The former Websters tied house was acquired by former North East brewers Vaux when Websters offloaded a number of local pubs following the Beer Orders. When Vaux went belly-up, their pubs were taken over by Punch Taverns. Joe and Tracey have maintained a steady course through these turbulent times, concentrating on what matters: well-kept beer (Adnams Bitter and Tetley Cask Bitter), good-value home-cooked food and a friendly welcome. Since buying the pub, Joe and Tracey have added a third cask beer to their range, for the summer at least. This will be a rotating guest and recent offerings have included Goose Eye No Eye Deer, Wells Youngs Waggledance and. Deuchars IPA. The regular beers remain Tetley Cask and Adnams Bitter as these have a strong following amongst the regular customers. The pub's best kept secret is its spectacular beer garden, built into the hillside behind the building and reached through the side door of the pub - well-worth a visit on these balmy summer evenings. Congratulations to Joe and Tracey on their making such a brave move in these troubled financial times. Why not pop in and give them some additional support. Ring 01535 630977 to check opening times.
The Hare and Hounds featured in the 'Pubs on the Perimeter' series in Alesman Autumn 2009. Read the article.
10th July 2009
Quality of the Guide re-sparks old internal dispute
In mid-July a border skirmish (aka joint social) took place between Keighley & Craven and Bradford CAMRA branches. Read Bar Humbug's report from July 22nd 2009..
Skipton 36, Keighley 27 - a close result!
No not a rugby score, but the tally of different real ales available in the two town centres, making them 'must-visit' places for real-ale drinkers.
If you live locally and enjoy real ale, get out and get drinking! If you live locally and don't yet drink real ale, now is a great opportunity to try it. You won't be disappointed! A map of Keighley Town Centre pubs can be found by clicking here. A map of Skipton Town Centre pubs can be found by clicking here. Alternatively download a PDF of one of our town guide leaflets: Keighley Skipton
And if you live further afield, why not put Keighley and Skipton on your list of places to visit soon. There can't be many towns of a similar size offering the same choice of real ales.
In Keighley town centre you can find the following: Five beers from Timothy Taylor, all available in the Boltmakers, but also mostly available in other Taylors tied houses and in the Red Pig (Landlord and Golden Best). The Livery Rooms (Wetherspoons) usually adds seven more and the two guest beers in each of the Red Pig, the Brown Cow and the Boltmakers bring the total up to 24. Tucked away on Coney Lane, the Cricketers sells at least 4 beers (Moorhouses Premier plus three guests) during the week, rising to 7 at weekends when the downstairs bar is open. Add the cask Tetley Bitter in the Star or Cavendish and the Wychwood Hobgoblin at the Woolpack we get a grand total at weekends of 27! Rumour has it that the Woolpack also sells guest beers as well so the tally may be even higher, but your webmaster has yet to check it out.
Not to be outdone, Skipton boasts the following: Eight cask beers each in the Narrow Boat (Pub of the Season Winter 2008), the Devonshire (Pub of the Season Autumn 2008) and the Red Lion. The Woolly Sheep, a Timothy Taylor tied house adds three more to the Taylors tally (Golden Best, Best Bitter and Dark Mild/Ram Tam) and the Royal Shepherd, which looks like a Copper Dragon tied-house from the outside, but isn't, adds two more to the Copper Dragon tally. The Cock and Bottle contributes 4 more bringing the total to 33. The Craven, down by Tesco, is a Thwaites pub so add Thwaites bitter and Tetley Dark Mild can be found at the Railway across the road. The Canalside serves it's own house beer brewed by Saltaire, pipping Keighley with a cool 36.
..and this is just the town centres. Pan out from Keighley town centre by a couple of miles, and Keighley clearly takes the lead. You can add Bombardier and Theakstons Mild at the Marquis of Granby, Riddlesden; 2 beers from Goose Eye or Bowland at the Snooty Fox, Oakworth; 4 from the Copper Dragon range plus a guest at the Crossroads Inn, Crossroads; two Goose Eye beers and other guests at the Turkey, Goose Eye and 2 from Naylors/Old Spot at the Guide, Hainworth.
Note: Before anyone tries to point out that the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Buffet car usually has at least two beers on it, I have deliberately excluded it because it is only in Keighley town centre for twenty minutes at a time!
(I'm sure I've missed some. If I have, let me know, and I'll add them to the list. The game hasn't finished yet...)
21st November 2008 updated 11th June 2009 and again 2nd December 2009
Copper Dragon Visitor Centre opens to the public
Skipton has a new real-ale outlet. Just out of town on Snaygill Industrial Estate, the Dragon Bar and Bistro is based in the Visitor Centre of Copper Dragon's new brewery. Open to the public during the day-time only, it sells the full range of Copper Dragon beers alongside quality breakfasts and lunches. For full details of opening times etc. click here. To get there, head out of Skipton on the Keighley/Bradford road and just before the Snaygill Arms (formerly the Weaving Shed and before that Henri's), at the mini roundabout turn right.
20th January 2009
