Yorkshire Day

It’s Yorkshire day today.  So I thought I’d take a few minutes to tell you about the beautiful part of the world where we live and work.  What makes our corner of Yorkshire so special to us, and how it influences what we do.

Many modern breweries are based in industrial units in big cities, but we’re a bit different.  We’re at the top of a 300 metre hill in the Pennines, high above Hebden Bridge where we opened our first bar. 

Being here has its ups and downs - both literally and figuratively. 

On a sunny day we get beautiful views, fresh air, and Henry the brewery dog has a great place to be walked at lunchtime!  But the location also has its challenges.  Cold and windy days can be pretty tough up here.  And we’re a 24hr operation, meaning our brewers are no strangers to dry-hopping beers in our outside tanks in terrible weather at 3am!  So next time you’re tucked up in bed listing to a howling storm outside, remember that somewhere up a hill in Yorkshire there’s a weather-beaten brewer making the beer that you’ll be enjoying in a few weeks’ time.  That’s dedication!

But we’re not just here for the views - the water here is amazing.  The bulk of our brewing water comes from Widdop reservoir (in the photo above). This soft, moorland water is perfect for brewing.  It’s a wonderful blank canvas to work with, and has an almost identical profile to the water in the Czech city of Pilsen – the home of Pilsner lager. So when we brew a lager we don’t need to do anything to the water at all – it’s perfect as it is.

And what about the people?  Well we all know that Yorkshire people are known for being straight-talking.  They say what they mean, and do what they say they’re going to do.  They work hard, get the job done, and don’t complain. Much. They’re proud individuals, proud of their roots but welcoming to outsiders (like me).  Some might say they’re a little stubborn, but I prefer to call it tenacious. I’d like to think these strengths of Yorkshire are infused into the very culture of the brewery. 

So what does Yorkshire mean to us?  I think in a quiet way it permeates everything we do.  It’s the culture, the landscape, the weather and the amazing team we have that means this isn’t just a job.  It’s our Vocation.

Happy Yorkshire Day!