31 January 2007

Jeremy Bent from Stamford Bridge (near York) was the lucky winner of Timothy Taylor’s latest ‘Perfect Partners’ website competition which was drawn earlier this month.

Peter Eells (left) and Jeremy Bent

Taylor’s Head Brewer Peter Eells, who organised the competition, invited Jeremy to the brewery last week to receive his prize of £250 and a bag full of Timothy Taylor ‘goodies’. Jeremy was accompanied by his father-in-law Les Langford. Peter gave them a guided tour of the brewery and then treated them to lunch at the Taylor owned Royal Oak in Keighley.

After the tour a delighted Jeremy commented: “I’ve been round a couple of Scottish distilleries in the past but this was a new experience. It was amazing. I was particularly fascinated to see how well traditional brewing methods complemented the most up to date computerised equipment.” He added: “Since winning this competition it seems every pub I’ve been in serves Taylor’s beers!”

The competition attracted a record 300 entries, with Jeremy’s entry being drawn from nearly 100 which were completed correctly. Peter Eells said: “We were delighted with the quality of the response this time. Some people certainly know their partners! I’m just in the throes of devising a new competition which will be posted soon on our website www.timothytaylor.co.uk.”

23 January 2007

It is only a matter of months since Keighley Brewer Timothy Taylor completed a £400,000 transformation of The White Horse, Thornton high above Bradford in the Pennine countryside.

Richard and Sam Thorpe with the White Horse

A striking feature of the new look pub was a distinctive 6ft white horse which stood proudly outside the front door. Now sadly it has disappeared and tenants Richard and Sam Thorpe are very upset and want it back!

“We are really proud of our newly extended and refurbished pub and the prancing white horse really make a statement,” said chef/patron Richard. “It just disappeared overnight and although we live above the pub we didn’t hear a thing. It must have taken some shifting as it was very firmly secured down. One of our mischievous regulars suggested it may have run off with the Black Horse down in the village but we suspect more than just horse play!” Added Richard.

So keen are the couple to see its safe return that they are offering a reward “Theres a free meal for two awaiting anyone who can help us find our horse. We had become very attached to it and would like it back!” said Sam

Anyone with any information can contact Richard and Sam on 01274 831110.

15 January 2007

Although it is not due to re-open until the end of January the new tenants of The White Swan at Fence, Des and Pat Traynor, cannot wait to get things up and running and have this week moved in to oversee the final touches to the pub’s refurbishment.  Commenting on the work Des said: “At the moment it is still a bit of a building site but we can see the potential and we’re sure everyone will be extremely impressed with the final result”.

The well known ‘local’ will officially reopen on Monday 29th January with lunchtime food starting to be served the following week from Tuesday 6th February.

Des & Pat Traynor at the White Swan

Des added: “Although we’re new to East Lancashire we’ve explored the area thoroughly and really love it.  Having done our homework we can see real potential in running The White Swan as a traditional village pub where people can come and enjoy a relaxing drink which will include a range of Timothy Taylor’s beers.  Good wholesome pub food will be served at lunchtimes and then eventually it is Pat’s aim to introduce an early evening menu.”

Work on renovating the Timothy Taylor owned pub started in November and has involved the complete redevelopment of the bar areas, the lavatories and Des and Pat’s accommodation.  In addition a commercial kitchen has also been added.

Timothy Taylor’s Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin commented: “Des and Pat bring with them over 20 years’ experience of running community pubs so we’re handing over knowing The White Swan is in very capable hands”.

Timothy Taylor is the last independent, family run brewery of its kind in West Yorkshire and has been brewing traditional cask ales for almost 150 years.  The company’s classic strong Pale Ale Landlord is nationally renowned and has won more UK awards than any other beer.  This includes 4 times as Champion at the Brewers’ International Awards and 4 times as CAMRA’s Beer of the Year.  Landlord also has the unique distinction of holding both accolades simultaneously.

21 November 2006

The second Beef & Beer Dinner organised by the Keighley Challenge Committee was held at the Craiglands Hotel, Ilkley on Thursday 16th November and raised over £17,000 for Sue Ryder Care.  The amount raised will go towards the running of the charity’s services based at Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope, which include not just the hospice itself but also a satellite service in Skipton and the community support team.

Sue Ryder Care Regional Fundraising Manager Janine Bickerstaff said: “It was a fantastic evening for Sue Ryder Care.  The money raised will go a long way towards helping provide care where people need it most in the area.”

She went on to thank all the local companies that supported the event, in particular Timothy Taylor, Gordons, Horwath Clark Whitehill and Yorkshire Bank for all the time and effort they had put in to organising this year’s Keighley Manorlands Challenge which had raised a wonderful total of £30,000.

Nigel Mochrie, senior partner at Yorkshire Bank’s West Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centre, added: “We are delighted to have come on board this year to become key partners in the Beer & Beef dinner.  The Sue Ryder Care Manorlands Hospice provides dedicated care to thousands of families across our region, so it was imperative that we help support this vital event.  The dinner was a truly enjoyable evening but more importantly we raised much needed funds to help continue the hard work and commitment that the hospice provides.”

3 November 2006

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THE WHITE HORSE - IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
2 November 2006

Work is continuing at The White Horse at Thornton including the new extension ready for re-opening later in the month

A new joint tenancy partnership will be running The White Horse at Thornton when it re-opens towards the end of November following extensive renovation work.

David and Pam Hughes and Pam’s daughter and son-in-law Richard and Sam Thorpe will officially take the reins on Friday 17th November in time to prepare for the official opening a week later. Pam and Sam will be in charge of running the bar whilst Richard will be responsible for the catering. Richard, who hails from Bradford, has a wealth of hospitality management experience and originally trained as a chef. During his time at a top London hotel he gained 2 Michelin stars for the restaurant. He is keen to stress that the emphasis will be on fresh, locally sourced quality food with a daily Specials board.

Over £400,000 has been spent transforming the Timothy Taylor owned pub. When complete the bar area will have been more than doubled in size and a totally new commercial kitchen added, together with new lavatories.

Timothy Taylor is the last independent, family run brewery of its kind in West Yorkshire and has been brewing traditional cask ales for almost 150 years. The company’s classic strong Pale Ale Landlord is nationally renowned and has won more UK awards than any other beer. This includes 4 times as Champion at the Brewers’ International Awards and 4 times as CAMRA’s Beer of the Year. Landlord also has the unique distinction of holding both accolades simultaneously.

FIT TO RUN THE FLEECE!
31 October 2006

Nick Hindle. The Fleece Inn at Haworth

Ex Army physical training instructor Nick Hindle who also has a wealth of leisure management experience is the new tenant of the Timothy Taylor owned Fleece Inn at Haworth.

For 36 year old Nick this will be his first pub but he is relishing the prospect of running his own business in such an attractive and famous village.

He commented, “I really enjoy the customer contact side which I lost having risen to senior management level in my previous job. Being from Bradford returning to Yorkshire is coming home for me and now I am looking forward to running a genuine village pub that welcomes both locals and tourists alike”.

Joining Nick at the Fleece is Head Chef Andrew Barbato. Nick added “Andrew and I have worked together for a number of years and share the same philosophy. Together we intend to offer traditional good quality, value for money pub food coupled with excellent Taylors beers and a consistent high level of customer service”.

Timothy Taylor Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin said “Nick has really impressed us with his enthusiasm and professionalism, I’m sure he’ll make a big success of running the Fleece”.

4 July 2006

Anton Drake picks up his last load of brewers’ grain from Timothy Taylor

Anton Drake of Fieldhead Farm, Flappit has been collecting brewer’s grain from
Timothy Taylor’s Knowle Spring Brewery since 1979.  Last week, with retirement from farming imminent, he picked up his last load.

Anton has run his all grass dairy farm with 70 milking Friesians in partnership with his father since 1969 but is now leaving farming to pursue other interests.

The weekly collection of moist grain roughage, which is extracted from the bottom of the mash tonne, is fed straight to the cows all year round, either just before or after milking.
Anton commented: “There’s no doubt the cows milk better on brewer’s grains and at just 1p per kilo for every dry grain put into the mash it represents excellent value for money.  The cows are to be sold next week and I’m sure they’ll miss their weekly feed of grains.

Timothy Taylor’s Head Brewer Peter Eells added: “We are very lucky in having a number of good stockmen like Anton who farm close by and collect the surplus grains after every brew.  It’s a win, win situation.  The farmer gets good cattle feed at a low price and we get rid of the leftover grains.”

22 March 2006

The Royal Oak in Ripon

Trudy Pilmoor - The Royal Oak in Ripon

One of Ripon’s best known pubs, the Royal Oak, has been bought by Timothy Taylor.  Like the Keighley based brewer, the Grade II listed pub on Kirkgate, Ripon, has Royal connections.  Twice on visits to the city The Prince of Wales has been served in the historical pub which now has one of its rooms – Charlie’s Bar – named in his honour.  The Prince also visited  the Timothy Taylor brewery  in 2002 and on this occasion he pulled his own pint.

After successfully running the Woolly Sheep in Skipton for three years, Trudy Pilmoor has moved across to Ripon to manage the Royal Oak.  Commenting on the move Trudy said, “This is a completely new challenge for me and one I’m looking forward to.  In many ways the Royal Oak is very similar to the Woolly Sheep, being situated in the centre of a busy market town, which is recognised as a base for tourists looking to explore the Yorkshire Dales.”

Tied Estate Manager, Andrew Daykin added, “The Royal Oak fits perfectly into the Timothy Taylor portfolio of pubs.  It is our intention to develop the full potential of the facilities including the 6 letting bedrooms, whilst at the same time retaining a traditional English pub environment in which our customers can relax and enjoy good beer and good food.”

For more details look on 'Our Pubs' Page.

1 March 2006

Left to Right Nigel Aston and Andrew Daykin

Timothy Taylor has been short-listed as a finalist for the prestigious Publican newspaper 2006 awards.

The Knowle Spring brewery’s Tied Estate has been nominated for Pub Company of the Year in the Tenanted / Leased (10-99 Outlets) category and will be up against two other leading pub-owning companies. Following a visit to Yorkshire from Hamish Champ of the Publican, who visited the brewery and a number of pubs, Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin and Operations Manager Nigel Aston underwent a lengthy interview in London before the judging panel and now await the announcement of the winner at a glittering awards ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Tuesday
21st March.

Asked why he thinks Timothy Taylor should win, Andrew Daykin commented: “In recent years we have invested over £6million in our pubs to ensure they are maintained to the very highest standards. In 2005 capital expenditure was almost £1million. We also insist our tenants and managers provide a traditional English pub environment in which our customers can relax and enjoy good beer and good food. Our mantra is always quality, quality, quality.”

28 February 2006

One of Ripon’s historic city centre pubs is to change hands with Keighley based brewer Timothy Taylor exchanging contracts to buy the Grade II listed Royal Oak.

Timothy Taylor, famous for brewing Madonna’s favourite beer Landlord, owns 26 pubs that vary in character from country wayside inns to local community town centre taverns. The majority are in West Yorkshire but they also successfully operate the Woolly Sheep in Skipton which, in many ways, is very similar to the Royal Oak, being situated in the centre of a busy market town recognised as a base for tourists looking to explore the Yorkshire Dales.

In recent years over £6million has been spent ensuring its pubs are kept up to the company’s highly demanding standards.

Commenting on the acquisition Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin said: “The Royal Oak fits perfectly into the Timothy Taylor portfolio of pubs. It is our intention to develop the full potential of the facilities including the function room and the 6 letting bedrooms whilst at the same time retaining a traditional English pub environment in which our customers can relax and enjoy good beer and good food.”

Timothy Taylor is the last independent, family run brewery of its kind left in West Yorkshire and has been brewing traditional cask ales for almost 150 years. The company’s classic strong Pale Ale Landlord is nationally renowned and has won more UK awards than any other beer. This includes 4 times as Champion at the Brewers’ International Awards and 4 times as CAMRA’s Beer of the Year. Landlord also has the unique distinction of holding both accolades simultaneously.

WELL TRAINED!
25 October 2006

As part of an ongoing programme of staff training eight Assistant Managers from Timothy Taylor pubs recently passed the British Institute of Innkeeping National Certificate in Licensed Retailing.

Left to Right: Nigel Aston, Operations Manager, Andrew Daykin, Tied Estate Manager, John Wilman, Woolly Sheep, Jennifer Waite, Royal Oak - Keighley, Michael Lonsdale, Shepherds Arms, Laura Booth, The Boltmakers Arms, Gavin Payton, Shepherds Arms, Oliver Stow, Royal Oak - Keighley, Matthew Hogg, Ferrands Arms, Alistair Firth, Royal Oak - Ripon and Kevin Hosking, Inndespensable Training .

The intensive training course, organised by Kevin Hosking of Inndespensible Training, was followed by an exam which all 8 candidates passed with flying colours. They were: Oliver Stow and Jennifer Waite from the Royal Oak and Laura Booth from The Boltmakers Arms, Alistair Firth from The Royal Oak, Ripon, Matthew Hogg from The Ferrands Arms, Bingley, John Wilman from the Woolly Sheep, Skipton, and
Gavin Payton and Michael Lonsdale from The Shepherds Arms, Colne.

Timothy Taylor’s Operations Manager Nigel Aston commented: “New legislation pertaining to running a pub is being introduced all the time. It is vitally important, therefore, all our staff keep up to date. As a company Timothy Taylor is committed to staff training and upholding a tradition of the very highest standards of customer service.”

MAKEOVER FOR THE WHITE SWAN, FENCE
25 October 2006

The White Swan at Fence, which has been bought by Keighley based brewer
Timothy Taylor, is to undergo a major refurbishment. Work will start in November on the well-known community pub following the departure of previous owner Gerry Stott.

Timothy Taylor, famous for brewing Madonna’s favourite beer Landlord, owns 29 pubs that vary in character from country wayside inns to local town centre taverns. The majority are in West Yorkshire but they also successfully operate another pub in Lancashire, The Shepherds Arms in Colne.

In recent years over £6million has been spent ensuring all Taylor’s pubs are maintained to the company’s exacting standards. The work on The White Swan will involve a complete refurbishment throughout, rewiring, adding central heating and a commercial kitchen. The tenants’ accommodation will also be totally refurbished and the lavatories altered to allow disabled access. Outside, the car park will be repaired and lighting added.

Commenting on the alterations Timothy Taylor’s Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin said: “We expect the work to take about 7 weeks so the re-opening will be early in the new year. New tenants Des and Pat Traynor will take over after the renovation has been completed and it is their intention to develop the pub’s full potential and provide a
traditional village pub environment in which customers can relax and enjoy fine beers and, for the first time at The White Swan, good food which will be served lunchtimes and early evenings.”

Timothy Taylor is the last independent, family run brewery of its kind in West Yorkshire and has been brewing traditional cask ales for almost 150 years. The company’s classic strong Pale Ale Landlord is nationally renowned and has won more UK awards than any other beer. This includes 4 times as Champion at the Brewers’ International Awards and 4 times as CAMRA’s Beer of the Year. Landlord also has the unique distinction of holding both accolades simultaneously.

RECIPES FROM THE GOOD BEER & FOOD SHOW
October 12, 2006

Timothy Taylor's are exhibiting at the Good Beer & Food Show in Harrogate this weekend; where Yorkshire’s favourite TV chef, Brian Turner will be in action,cooking 3 delicious recipes.

The Timothy Taylor sponsored mouth-watering recipes are:

CHICKEN BREAST STUFFED WITH APPLES, PARSLEY SAUCE
ROSEMARY PRAWNS ON TARRAGON POTATOES
STUFFED PORK FILLET

October 9, 2006

Landlord has hit the winning trail once more, by winning a prize at The British Bottling Institute 2007 Awards. It scooped a Gold Medal in its class at the recent competition. It beat all other similar strength Pale Ales and Bitters in a blind tasting undertaken by a panel of Industry Experts. This follows hot on the heels of being hailed as the best bottled beer in The Independent newspaper.

July 11, 2006

(L to R) Ian Gibson, Pauline White of The New Charnwood & Ben Lumb

First there were pies and sausages, then came fruitcake and now there’s ice cream made with Landlord, the award-winning ale from Keighley based brewer Timothy Taylor.

This genuine home-made cool creation was the brainchild of Liversedge’s Ian Gibson who started making ice cream as a hobby seven years ago following a long career in international theatre and opera – during which time he was one of the designers of The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester – and a third career designing sound mixers for film and TV.  One of his designs was described by the Institute of Broadcast Sound as “such stuff as dreams are made on” and another won an award from the Audio Engineering Society of America.  Before all that he was a mathematics and statistics lecturer.   

Ian, who is a Landlord devotee of long standing, commented:  “It may seem slightly incongruous for an ex-maths lecturer to be making ice cream but it is an amazingly complex subject; having a mathematical mind certainly helps when it comes to analysing and formulating recipes.  Selecting a beer for my ice cream was not difficult:  Landlord was the obvious choice as it’s the beer against which all others are judged.  It has complexity, depth of flavour and a long finish, all pre-requisites for a good ice cream.”

Although he can produce many flavours, he only makes to order and at the moment has three Landlord ice cream customers.  One of these is The New Charnwood in Heckmondwike where Landlord ice cream is served with a brandy-snap biscuit in a special Timothy Taylor goblet.

Run by Pauline White and Terry Moor The New Charnwood is well known locally for its excellent food and choice of fine ales.  Pauline said: “We have been serving this very special dairy ice cream for about 3 months now and it is proving to be extremely popular – particularly with the men!  The taste and texture are superb and it is a fitting finale to a meal at The Charnwood”.

At El Gato Negro tapas bar in Ripponden chef-patron Simon Shaw regards Landlord ice cream as the perfect complement to his sticky toffee pudding.  Most recently Richard Allen, head chef at Harvey Nichols, who was equally impressed with this unique ice cream, has started serving it with Yorkshire Parkin in his prestigious Leeds restaurant.

When asked by celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal to make ice cream in the kitchen of his three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck in Bray, Ian chose to make Landlord ice cream.  He has also made whisky ice cream for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Timothy Taylor’s sales representative Ben Lumb added:  “The New Charnwood is a long-standing Timothy Taylor customer and always has our beers on the bar.  We are delighted that diners can now enjoy a pint of Landlord before or with their meals and then finish with this delicious dessert.  Perhaps Madonna can be persuaded to try it!”

July 11, 2006

An appreciative audience of Boroughbridge Agricultural Society Members

Head Brewer Peter Eells

A beer tasting by Keighley based brewers Timothy Taylor at the Royal Oak in Ripon saw a strong turnout for the annual summer outing of the Boroughbridge Agricultural Society.

An appreciative audience of members and their wives and partners were entertained and enlightened in the finer arts of brewing traditional English cask conditioned ales by Taylor’s Head Brewer Peter Eells and Managing Director Charles Dent.

As an agricultural society there was widespread interest in the quality and provenance of the ingredients such as the carefully selected barley and hops that go into brewing Taylor’s beers.  After supper, which included locally reared beef and home grown new potatoes, a quiz was organised to raise funds for Ripon Cathedral.

Timothy Taylors bought the Royal Oak, a well known city centre pub, a few months ago, since when the company has invested in refurbishing and redecorating the bar areas.

30th May 2006

The Unicorn in Bramley

Keighley based brewer Timothy Taylor has acquired two well known Leeds pubs from Musgrave & Sagar Ltd, a long standing Leeds company which was originally founded in 1793 as a Malting and Brewing business. They are The Town Hall Tavern in the centre of Leeds and The Unicorn in Bramley.

Timothy Taylor has bought both pubs as going concerns and will continue to run them as managed houses.

John & Lorraine Mitchell from the Town Hal Tavern

Geoff Rayton, Managing Director of Musgrave & Sagar said “We are delighted to be handing over to another local, family run business.  Timothy Taylor has a first class reputation both as a pub operator and brewer of outstanding beers.”

Mr Rayton’s counterpart at Timothy Taylor Charles Dent commented “We are very pleased to have acquired these two excellent pubs in Leeds.  Both will fit into our existing tied estate very well”

25th May 2006

David & Jeanette Hill outside the Hare and Hounds

The ‘Tom Tittiman’ fell race, the final race in the 3-day Midsummer Madness event organised by Calder

Valley Fell Runners has a sponsor for the first time ever. Keighley based brewer Timothy Taylor has stepped in to proffer its support because this year’s race will start and finish at the Hare & Hounds, Wadsworth which is a Taylor owned pub.

Organiser Bill Johnson also provided an insight into another reason for the involvement of the brewery well known for producing Madonna’s favourite ale. “The majority of fell runners enjoy their beer and you can’t beat a pint of Taylor’s. It’s amazing Madonna and I have at least one thing in common - Landlord also happens to be my favourite tipple! The Hare & Hounds makes an ideal venue and I’m grateful to David & Jeanette and Taylors for their support.”

The 3-day event attracts fell runners from most of the top local clubs as well as further afield and culminates in the Timothy Taylor Tom Tittiman Fell Race on Sunday
25th June. The race is named after the local Tom Tittiman hill which forms part of the
4 mile course together with High Brown Knoll.

The other 2 races are the 3 mile Wicken Hill Whizz on Friday evening and Saturday’s
7 mile Reservoir Bogs which also starts and finishes at the Hare & Hounds. Completing all three events is a real test of stamina. Last year only 46 runners managed to finish all the races although the organisers expect more competition this year from around the country as the Calder Club will host the British Fell Running Relay Championships in October. This prestigious event will attract 600 of the country’s top fell runners.

Calder Valley Fell Runners was formed 20 years ago and unlike many running clubs is solely a fell running club. Among its members the club boasts the reigning English, British & World Ladies Over-40 Champion Sally Newman. She is also overall English Champion and second in the British rankings, despite competing against women up to 20 years younger. The Calder Ladies team was second overall in the English & British Team Championships last year.

David Hill, landlord at the Hare & Hounds, commented: “We played host to the event last year. It was a great weekend, a really friendly crowd who certainly enjoyed themselves. It was a great success and when I approached Timothy Taylor they were delighted to lend their support.”

Timothy Taylor has been brewing traditional cask conditioned ales since 1858 and owns 25 pubs in and around its Keighley base including, as well as the Hare & Hounds, the Cross Inn at Heptonstall and The Cross Roads Inn at Wainstalls in the Calder area..

22 April 2006

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13 April 2006

Mark Narey & Carl Rowlett

Three Timothy Taylor owned pubs are featured in the latest edition of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Good Food Guide. The new guide is a sister publication to CAMRA’s highly successful ‘Good Pub Guide’ which is widely recognised as the country’s leading directory of top pubs. The Dog & Gun at Malsis, the Grouse, Oakworth and the Brown Cow, Bingley are all renowned for the quality and diverse choice of their food.

For Mark Narey and Carl Rowlett this is their second accolade within the last few months for the Grouse was recently a finalist in the Yorkshire Life ‘Traditional Pub of the Year’ Award.

Ever since Ross and Anita Walker took over the Dog & Gun 4 years ago the couple have placed a strong emphasis on food and they have built up an excellent reputation locally. The listing is therefore just reward for all their hard work, particularly for Ross, who is a trained chef and in the early days did all the cooking himself. Now he heads up a team of 5 chefs.

For Joanne Thirkell and her husband David, who have recently taken over at the Brown Cow, Bingley the entry will be all about maintaining the excellent reputation for food they had developed at their previous pub, The Ship at Aldborough near Boroughbridge.

As Timothy Taylor’s Tied Estate Manager Andrew Daykin explained, quality food is an integral part of the company’s pub philosophy. He said: “All our licensees source excellent quality local produce and are encouraged to offer differing menus to suit different customer tastes.”

To emphasise his point he highlighted the Globe Inn on Parkwood Street, Keighley which serves authentic Thai food and the Royal Oak, Damside, Keighley where the manager Mark Davey has recently introduced a lunchtime Carvery served every Monday to Thursday to complement the regular Hearty Meals menu.