Tetley Bitter

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 2:46 pm

I was not in my local last night but ventured to Skipton just down the road. I was drinking the very good Copper Dragon, talking with friends the subject of the recent poor quality of Tetley bitter came up, some one commented that it is now brewed in Wolverhampton. Is this true as I cant find any reference that Leeds has stopped brewing it yet.

simong · Post by **simong** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 3:21 pm

geoffb wrote: I was not in my local last night but ventured to Skipton just down the road. I was drinking the very good Copper Dragon, talking with friends the subject of the recent poor quality of Tetley bitter came up, some one commented that it is now brewed in Wolverhampton. Is this true as I cant find any reference that Leeds has stopped brewing it yet. It's going to be made at Marston's in Wolverhampton. I suppose they might have started production now. The BBC story here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west ... 545345.stm says that they couldn't find a suitable site, although Leeds made their own version last year and I believe that Black Sheep put in a bid.I haven't had Tetley's for a while, but it's seemed very variable to me for some time, although I think that depends on how it's kept.

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 3:51 pm

I think once sales start to drop off because it no longer tastes the same as traditional Leeds brewed Tetley's then the name will quietly disappear forever. Selling out to the Danes was the biggest mistake the owners of Tetley's could have made. They say that there was no longer the demand for bitter or mild beers and it was unviable to keep the brewery open ! Yet Carlsberg had to move production to Wolverhampton because as Andy Hume, brewery director at Carlsberg's Leeds brewery, said: "We looked at all realistic options in Yorkshire to brew Tetley's cask. However, there was not the suitable capacity available." So why move in the first place ??? If the capacity needed to brew Tetley beers is so great then why not just carry on brewing at Hunslet Road ? I think the obvious reason is they know that they sit on prime redevelopment land and once the economy starts to pick up they will make a killing in selling off the land. It's all about greed I'm afraid and nothing (especially tradition or local pride) gets in the way of that.Regards.

Post by **chameleon** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 4:31 pm

geoffb wrote: I was not in my local last night but ventured to Skipton just down the road. I was drinking the very good Copper Dragon, talking with friends the subject of the recent poor quality of Tetley bitter came up, some one commented that it is now brewed in Wolverhampton. Is this true as I cant find any reference that Leeds has stopped brewing it yet. Do a search on here for the Tetley Brewery thread Geoff - there's quite a bit gowing back to before the move was announced.Copper Dragon - very nice..... Edit: Here's a couple of themhttp://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messages.aspx ... ighLight=1

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 5:56 pm

chameleon wrote: geoffb wrote: I was not in my local last night but ventured to Skipton just down the road. I was drinking the very good Copper Dragon, talking with friends the subject of the recent poor quality of Tetley bitter came up, some one commented that it is now brewed in Wolverhampton. Is this true as I cant find any reference that Leeds has stopped brewing it yet. Do a search on here for the Tetley Brewery thread Geoff - there's quite a bit gowing back to before the move was announced.Copper Dragon - very nice..... Edit: Here's a couple of themhttp://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messages.aspx ... ighLight=1 Thanks mate

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 6:01 pm

Hats Off wrote: I think once sales start to drop off because it no longer tastes the same as traditional Leeds brewed Tetley's then the name will quietly disappear forever. Selling out to the Danes was the biggest mistake the owners of Tetley's could have made. They say that there was no longer the demand for bitter or mild beers and it was unviable to keep the brewery open ! Yet Carlsberg had to move production to Wolverhampton because as Andy Hume, brewery director at Carlsberg's Leeds brewery, said: "We looked at all realistic options in Yorkshire to brew Tetley's cask. However, there was not the suitable capacity available." So why move in the first place ??? If the capacity needed to brew Tetley beers is so great then why not just carry on brewing at Hunslet Road ? I think the obvious reason is they know that they sit on prime redevelopment land and once the economy starts to pick up they will make a killing in selling off the land. It's all about greed I'm afraid and nothing (especially tradition or local pride) gets in the way of that.Regards. According to Radio 4's "Food Programme" awards show yesterday, the only segment of the beer market that is growing at the moment is the cask conditioned segment. I can't comment on the quality or lack of it of Tetleys ales, I stopped drinking them last year when the plans to close the Leeds Brewery were announced. Landlord is a far better drink than Tetleys anyway. In the days when I lived at West Ardsley, and drank regularly in The Hare and Hounds the Tetleys bitter and mild were both brilliant - this in the days when cask ale really was a niche market. It's a shame. Effectively another Yorkshire beer gone. The most famous of the lot. I wasn't old enough to drink Melbourne, but I remember Hemingways (Leeds) Duttons (Leeds) Whitakers (Halifax) Websters (Halifax) Ramsdens (Halifax) Hammonds (Tadcaster) BYB (Woodlesford) Beverleys (Wakefield) all gone in the last forty years.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 6:59 pm

Trojan wrote: Hats Off wrote: I think once sales start to drop off because it no longer tastes the same as traditional Leeds brewed Tetley's then the name will quietly disappear forever. Selling out to the Danes was the biggest mistake the owners of Tetley's could have made. They say that there was no longer the demand for bitter or mild beers and it was unviable to keep the brewery open ! Yet Carlsberg had to move production to Wolverhampton because as Andy Hume, brewery director at Carlsberg's Leeds brewery, said: "We looked at all realistic options in Yorkshire to brew Tetley's cask. However, there was not the suitable capacity available." So why move in the first place ??? If the capacity needed to brew Tetley beers is so great then why not just carry on brewing at Hunslet Road ? I think the obvious reason is they know that they sit on prime redevelopment land and once the economy starts to pick up they will make a killing in selling off the land. It's all about greed I'm afraid and nothing (especially tradition or local pride) gets in the way of that.Regards. According to Radio 4's "Food Programme" awards show yesterday, the only segment of the beer market that is growing at the moment is the cask conditioned segment. I can't comment on the quality or lack of it of Tetleys ales, I stopped drinking them last year when the plans to close the Leeds Brewery were announced. Landlord is a far better drink than Tetleys anyway. In the days when I lived at West Ardsley, and drank regularly in The Hare and Hounds the Tetleys bitter and mild were both brilliant - this in the days when cask ale really was a niche market. It's a shame. Effectively another Yorkshire beer gone. The most famous of the lot. I wasn't old enough to drink Melbourne, but I remember Hemingways (Leeds) Duttons (Leeds) Whitakers (Halifax) Websters (Halifax) Ramsdens (Halifax) Hammonds (Tadcaster) BYB (Woodlesford) Beverleys (Wakefield) all gone in the last forty years. True Trojan, but at least now we have the Leeds Brewery, Ridgeside Brewery (in Meanwood), Black Sheep and Theakstons (both Masham), Timmy Taylors (Keighley), Goose Eye (near Keighley), Copper Dragon (Skipton), York Brewery, Sam Smiths (Tadcaster), Osset Brewery, Daleside (Harrogate?) and that is just off the top of my head. There is an excellent brewery at Pool in Wharfedale too, but their name escapes me at the moment.Yorkshire is home to many thriving brewers, all of whom (in my opinion) produce ale that is far superior to the mass produced slop that Tetleys had become.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Sat 27 Nov, 2010 9:25 pm

Its the wharfeside brewery in Pool.Theres' also Saltaire and Salamander in Bradford and Ilkley for instance. I believe someone is planning a new brewery in Kirkstall too.

Si · Post by Si » Sun 28 Nov, 2010 9:36 am

Trojan wrote: I can't comment on the quality or lack of it of Tetleys ales, I stopped drinking them last year when the plans to close the Leeds Brewery were announced. Landlord is a far better drink than Tetleys anyway. In the days when I lived at West Ardsley, and drank regularly in The Hare and Hounds the Tetleys bitter and mild were both brilliant. In complete agreement, Trojan.Replace "West Ardsley" with "Pudsey" and "Hare and Hounds" with "White Cross" and that's me, that is!

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sun 28 Nov, 2010 10:58 am

raveydavey wrote: Trojan wrote: Hats Off wrote: I think once sales start to drop off because it no longer tastes the same as traditional Leeds brewed Tetley's then the name will quietly disappear forever. Selling out to the Danes was the biggest mistake the owners of Tetley's could have made. They say that there was no longer the demand for bitter or mild beers and it was unviable to keep the brewery open ! Yet Carlsberg had to move production to Wolverhampton because as Andy Hume, brewery director at Carlsberg's Leeds brewery, said: "We looked at all realistic options in Yorkshire to brew Tetley's cask. However, there was not the suitable capacity available." So why move in the first place ??? If the capacity needed to brew Tetley beers is so great then why not just carry on brewing at Hunslet Road ? I think the obvious reason is they know that they sit on prime redevelopment land and once the economy starts to pick up they will make a killing in selling off the land. It's all about greed I'm afraid and nothing (especially tradition or local pride) gets in the way of that.Regards. According to Radio 4's "Food Programme" awards show yesterday, the only segment of the beer market that is growing at the moment is the cask conditioned segment. I can't comment on the quality or lack of it of Tetleys ales, I stopped drinking them last year when the plans to close the Leeds Brewery were announced. Landlord is a far better drink than Tetleys anyway. In the days when I lived at West Ardsley, and drank regularly in The Hare and Hounds the Tetleys bitter and mild were both brilliant - this in the days when cask ale really was a niche market. It's a shame. Effectively another Yorkshire beer gone. The most famous of the lot. I wasn't old enough to drink Melbourne, but I remember Hemingways (Leeds) Duttons (Leeds) Whitakers (Halifax) Websters (Halifax) Ramsdens (Halifax) Hammonds (Tadcaster) BYB (Woodlesford) Beverleys (Wakefield) all gone in the last forty years. True Trojan, but at least now we have the Leeds Brewery, Ridgeside Brewery (in Meanwood), Black Sheep and Theakstons (both Masham), Timmy Taylors (Keighley), Goose Eye (near Keighley), Copper Dragon (Skipton), York Brewery, Sam Smiths (Tadcaster), Osset Brewery, Daleside (Harrogate?) and that is just off the top of my head. There is an excellent brewery at Pool in Wharfedale too, but their name escapes me at the moment.Yorkshire is home to many thriving brewers, all of whom (in my opinion) produce ale that is far superior to the mass produced slop that Tetleys had become. Daleside is at Starbeck. Yes it's true what you say, but the ones I listed were pretty large concerns with pub estates. I like Leeds Best, and I like Ossett Excelsior too. My son bought a 9 gallon barrel of Daleside "Old Legover" for his barbecue in the summer and it was pretty good. Taylors Landlord is in a class of its own though.I used to enjoy a drop of Boddingtons in the past before they got bought out. Just as they were expanding into Yorkshire too. They had a tied house at the bottom of Beeston Hill - was it the Golden Lion? Their cask beer was never as good after the takover, if you can still get the cask version I think it's either Hydes or Holts that brew it.