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09-08-2023, 12:08
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There was some excellent news to celebrate last week at London's Olympia as Elland Brewery's 1872 Porter was awarded the title of Champion Beer of Britain for 2023, the 2nd time it has won the award. And after a new start for the brewery, this is an amazing achievement. Here's my thoughts on that, plus a visit to a couple of bars that are champion at what they do....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H-WNkx51xlYDGd6vjDfd1da5epJ_u1u5pCfJkKm2eAd-2iw7FsmCBdBWnKaucmQDShbkm_kUk_2n7wPUMv68uli2xvDBou zZZqYVnPHZO7oHZTpmZMu-fdZT4OeJ26owiVes5CjcGEhtIRZip2gI0o0EYO4yxkHtQi03y8 4fw1kieE1CjXMxjm1oB04/w640-h360/CAMRA-Champion-Beer-of-Britain-winner-2023.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H-WNkx51xlYDGd6vjDfd1da5epJ_u1u5pCfJkKm2eAd-2iw7FsmCBdBWnKaucmQDShbkm_kUk_2n7wPUMv68uli2xvDBou zZZqYVnPHZO7oHZTpmZMu-fdZT4OeJ26owiVes5CjcGEhtIRZip2gI0o0EYO4yxkHtQi03y8 4fw1kieE1CjXMxjm1oB04/s725/CAMRA-Champion-Beer-of-Britain-winner-2023.jpg)
Celebrating their victory at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival last Tuesday, the team from Elland Brewery should feel very proud of what they have achieved. 1872 Porter has been Champion Beer of Britain before, in 2013, and has also won Champion Winter Beer four times, most recently earlier this year, but set against the background of recent times it is a tremendous achievement. Only last year there had been speculation about the brewery's future as staff had left and a new team had been brought together, but as I'd found when I paid them a visit just about a year ago as they were settling in, there was something of a buzz about the place. And whilst they have subsequently changed brewers with Rob Thomas joining Joe Francis and Scott 'Hutch' Hutchinson in the business, that buzz and confidence has been maintained, culminating in 1872 Porter being judged by the tasting panel as the best in Britain.
Champion Beer of Britain co-ordinator Christine Cryne described this 6.5% strong dark ale as as "a ruby black porter, with chocolate and caramelised fruit flavours with a hint of black toffee on the nose", adding that "the judges enjoyed its smooth mouthfeel with a finish that is roasty and dry. A satisfying and remarkably easy drinking porter."The roots of Elland Brewery can be traced back to the sadly now-closed Barge and Barrel pub by the side of the canal in the small town that gives the brewery its name. In the 1990's a brewery had been set up by the avuncular John Eastwood in the former children's playroom, where he developed beers such as Nettle Thrasher, a popular bitter, and Myrtle's Temper, a strong dark ale allegedly named in honour of his wife. The beers were sold under the name of the Barge and Barrel Brewing Company in the pub and other local free houses and built up a popular following. In 2002, the Barge and Barrel Brewing Company merged with the West Yorkshire Brewery run by well-known brewer Dave Sanders, to form the Eastwood and Sanders' Fine Ales, which then became the Elland Brewery in 2006 as the two founders, finding it harder to work with each other, decided to move on. John eventually returned to brew at the Barge and Barrel, whilst Dave went on to work at several other local breweries over the subsequent years.One of the beers that had originated from the early days was this beer called 1872 Porter, a 6.5% creamy rich complex beer with chocolate and liquorice notes based on an original recipe dating back to 1872. This was the beer that really put Elland Brewery on the map, the beer winning multiple awards at CAMRA beer festivals up and down the country, culminating in being voted Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival in 2013, and then again this year. Well done, guys!
And it was two more long established, traditional beers that took Silver and Bronze to Elland's Gold. Big boys Greene King's 5% premium bitter Abbot Ale caused a surprise by winning the silver award, whilst Salopian's 4.3% golden bitter Darwin's Origin received the bronze which perhaps suggests a swing back to more traditional styles in general. Going back to the Abbot, it is one of those beers that many of us have swerved, perhaps unfairly, as it has become a stalwart of the line up at Wetherspoons, its reputation sniffily downgraded by many who should know better. Yet at one time it was a firm CAMRA favourite, revered and respected by many. When I was a student, one of my contemporaries from down south used to regularly go on about having drunk "10 points of Abbot" as a badge of honour, the beer's reputation preceding it. True, it wasn't as ubiquitous in those days as, aside from the Wetherspoons business, Greene King themselves have transformed themselves over the past 40 years from a moderately-sized regional brewer into one of the country's biggest with a national reach. And with Abbot, and their 3.6% IPA, plus other beers such as Old Speckled Hen, originally brewed by Morland of Oxford who they acquired, and Ruddles Bitter, Greene King produce a significant amount of cask beer. It was interesting that in the aftermath of Abbot's award, Twitter (or whatever it's called these days) featured a number of beer aficionados tweeting images of them "re-discovering" Abbot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPp1hXfMom14xrXXR45DQmuVgVCk0Y1tA9NQ1a9jPj uol0aqObHuptKQdCBBUt_B1zBO_RvRC75GsSOptOQsB9g_7OUf Y6Bn_q7TxbPCndJQGSyMKozwVXsTkMoSXSqzwhez3sH-_u6cjc19pAiYubTpvMZbIjygRru7iTAD4v4Ea3lS4ta7tyucA_ 0/w640-h426/Greene%20King%20-%20Abbot%20Ale.webp (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPp1hXfMom14xrXXR45DQmuVgVCk0Y1tA9NQ1a9jPj uol0aqObHuptKQdCBBUt_B1zBO_RvRC75GsSOptOQsB9g_7OUf Y6Bn_q7TxbPCndJQGSyMKozwVXsTkMoSXSqzwhez3sH-_u6cjc19pAiYubTpvMZbIjygRru7iTAD4v4Ea3lS4ta7tyucA_ 0/s960/Greene%20King%20-%20Abbot%20Ale.webp)
Greene King Abbot (image: Greene King)
Having been on a judging panel at a beer festival myself, I know the vagaries that can impact on the process, and given the more traditional inclination of many in CAMRA, some may suggest this year's champion beers are what you'd expect, but a look back at previous winners throws up a variety of different styles. In the years since Elland 1872 Porter last won the award, other winners have included Shere Drop from Surrey Hills (the last winners pre-Covid in 2019), which is a pale ale, another pale, Goat's Milk from Church End, a bitter, Taylors Boltmaker, a red ale, Cwtch from Tiny Rebel, and a couple of stouts from, respectively, Binghams and Siren. Which I think shows that even though the judging and tasting process may not be perfect, the best beers on the day will win through whatever the style....Moving on, I made the short trip over to Bradford the other week, a city whose reputation has also taken a bit of a knock over recent years. But I have always had a soft spot for the city; friendly people, excellent curries, and some great pubs and bars, whose number like most places has diminished over the years. Last year I'd re-visited some former favourite Bradford pubs (https://chrisdyson55.blogspot.com/2022/01/bradfords-thriving-survivors.html) to see how they were faring and found them in good form. This time, I'd decided to check out a couple of more recent bars which I'd not had the chance to visit for a while.And so I headed up to North Parade, calling in at the Record Cafe. Sandwiched between a European supermarket and a solicitors, this popular cafe bar opened its doors in 2014, when its mix of cask and craft beer, vinyl, and charcuterie marked it out as somewhere different. It brought cool to the streets of a less than cool Bradford and quickly built up a loyal following of beer buffs, music lovers, and discerning folk from near and further afield. It became a regular haunt of both Bradford City fans and away supporters attending the game at nearby Valley Parade. Whilst a number of bars have sprung up over the country in recent years offering vinyl alongside the beers, and several offer cold meats, cheeses, and conteras along similar lines to here, there isn't one that manages to combine being an independent record store and bar with a quality food offering like the Record Cafe.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZYeThYrg3lDw459baXGZJtq06bOgNF2wzCBWdw7hx 7rGf761YsDslwB5CSJPEY1t5Je1b602ymZzTSmjc5woq80_CNz 66IbIIj44cnvezRk_smz14KGX7k_yVRhNwBM_a0dC5ifhUbrOg mwuvvq1oPmKJFZBk_pzAjmGXVhE7YMOHauriwCEpyoM7o/w640-h480/DSC_6273~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZYeThYrg3lDw459baXGZJtq06bOgNF2wzCBWdw7hx 7rGf761YsDslwB5CSJPEY1t5Je1b602ymZzTSmjc5woq80_CNz 66IbIIj44cnvezRk_smz14KGX7k_yVRhNwBM_a0dC5ifhUbrOg mwuvvq1oPmKJFZBk_pzAjmGXVhE7YMOHauriwCEpyoM7o/s4032/DSC_6273~2.JPG)
I have always found the place to be pretty chilled, and as I walked in mid-Saturday afternoon, this time was no exception. The decor is reminiscent of those sleepy continental cafes with a calm clutter about them. Hams hang from the ceiling. There are fresh flowers peeping out from a beer can on every table. Lighting is subdued, with natural light streaming in from the large front window. A cool soundtrack at just the right level plays in the background.
Several tables were occupied by a mix of groups and couples of a variety of ages, some tucking in to cold meats, olives, and cheese. The vinyl is situated on a mezzanine floor towards the back of the bar and stocks a mix of new releases and classic albums, although following a thirsty walk up from the Interchange, getting a drink was a priority, so on this occasion I didn't go to browse the wares upstairs. From the four cask beers on the bar I went for a pint of English Pale Ale, a 5% collab between North Riding and Rivington which featured a number of English hops - Jester, Opus, Harlequin, and the mysteriously-named CF302. It was golden-blonde in colour, clean, well-balanced, with an underlying maltiness giving way to a slightly dry finish. It was very delicious too, worth a rating of NBSS 3.5, although I decided to go down a notch on the strength afterwards with a half of the 4.5% Lightbulb from Verdant off the taps. It was great to visit the Record Cafe again and I look forward to calling in again soon.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eXUy1cntgl6Hk5G1_I_49aaQvVAbGPorEZ9BkdwdsN jgIalvB-N5LECksFwke_Fno87ii32uu1wWPvMZEpudhP_zWREFqLi8ihJl mSCXFVBQBJk85AX_ahZNI43yRX3OgIGa4WqB9YgZUXKmZwXRuq fxWwJL2WlcGODmKZOKvQjRYKaOSAr9bcIH-rE/w640-h390/DSC_6276~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eXUy1cntgl6Hk5G1_I_49aaQvVAbGPorEZ9BkdwdsN jgIalvB-N5LECksFwke_Fno87ii32uu1wWPvMZEpudhP_zWREFqLi8ihJl mSCXFVBQBJk85AX_ahZNI43yRX3OgIGa4WqB9YgZUXKmZwXRuq fxWwJL2WlcGODmKZOKvQjRYKaOSAr9bcIH-rE/s3417/DSC_6276~2.JPG)
Across the road, the Sparrow was opened in 2011, starting off the independent bar scene that has grown up along North Parade. Like the Record Cafe, it attracted a wide variety of customers and was popular with football fans, but having been taken over by Kirkstall Brewery in 2018, it suddenly closed at the end of June 2023, its future unclear with any references to it removed from the Kirkstall website. It is a shame because like a lot of people it had enticed me back for a drink in the city centre for the first time for years, and hopefully it will open again as a quality bar before too long.
Fortunately, next door, the Boar & Fable was open.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PE86z1FHWxmx_9oonSZKEXkwimm2d0T35cug-pk-n5fGcfe9L6O0ydwFJ8Nj7DruT-Dajend0SLyBn5faq1LvsgdjLcrRMABuSPs1NWvX7Lixu637Km6 pMPbULltdEcB6tCYti2GYlweO5NtnL4xXMQVU7-WqFk09ft7rfBPFS2k6qcf8qqTnXzTXt4/w640-h360/DSC_6269.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PE86z1FHWxmx_9oonSZKEXkwimm2d0T35cug-pk-n5fGcfe9L6O0ydwFJ8Nj7DruT-Dajend0SLyBn5faq1LvsgdjLcrRMABuSPs1NWvX7Lixu637Km6 pMPbULltdEcB6tCYti2GYlweO5NtnL4xXMQVU7-WqFk09ft7rfBPFS2k6qcf8qqTnXzTXt4/s4032/DSC_6269.JPG)
This is another welcoming and chilled-out bar, modern and stylish, which takes its name from a ferocious boar that at one time lived in the woods around Bradford. The bar is at the far end of the room as you go in, and aside from this room there is additional space in the basement. The main room has exposed brick walls, wooden bench seating with scatter cushions, along with a number of tables. A number of brewery signs adorn the walls along with a couple of screens displaying the beers on offer, of which three are on cask and a further 7 on keg, a number of those from the continent alongside on this occasion beers from Vocation, Vault City, Pilot, and Drygate. On cask there were beers from Bingley, Brewsocial, and a Northern Monk/Blackjack collab. I perched on a stool beside the bar and went for a pint of the Bad Robots 4.2% session pale from Sheffield-based Brewsocial, which was a more than acceptable NBSS 3. I then went for the collab, which was also on at the Record Cafe. Modern Golden Ale had an ABV of 4.8% and featured Amarillo and Eclipse hops, and was brewed at The Old Flax Mill, Northern Monk's original base in Holbeck. It was pale gold in colour, well-rounded in flavour, with a slightly bitter finish, a delicious NBSS 3.5 to draw things to a close.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__8MdxUVmOKDHNCsbPX7yVnacfYC0q4ndH6G5yAXDoR O0T9RkJAW0PclMm0-bavNKrcoMHHNVlpU_66qeQdkceqbaxGq9AGFFbdvuuziUKdDGb w4nNW7xpsdrCdZQmvYlPl1INRwBUo95je6wDM7gBkBb6sFjL_3 DvuX-5TooL2Go44X44YwjzDL0mDE/w640-h360/DSC_6277~3.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__8MdxUVmOKDHNCsbPX7yVnacfYC0q4ndH6G5yAXDoR O0T9RkJAW0PclMm0-bavNKrcoMHHNVlpU_66qeQdkceqbaxGq9AGFFbdvuuziUKdDGb w4nNW7xpsdrCdZQmvYlPl1INRwBUo95je6wDM7gBkBb6sFjL_3 DvuX-5TooL2Go44X44YwjzDL0mDE/s3430/DSC_6277~3.JPG)
Another fine bar that is well worth calling when in the area. I even managed a final half a little further on North Parade at the Peacock. This split-level bar opened in 2016 offering a combination of real ale and Indian street food, and whilst both were still very much in evidence on this occasion, it seems as much like a sports bar these days with several TV screens showing the Ashes. Despite that there was a mixed crowd, with a group of ladies ordering wine at the bar as I ordered a half of a Bingley pale ale whose name I couldn't make out. I sat down and watched the cricket for a short while, and then decided to head off home, having enjoyed my brief return to North Parade....
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There was some excellent news to celebrate last week at London's Olympia as Elland Brewery's 1872 Porter was awarded the title of Champion Beer of Britain for 2023, the 2nd time it has won the award. And after a new start for the brewery, this is an amazing achievement. Here's my thoughts on that, plus a visit to a couple of bars that are champion at what they do....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H-WNkx51xlYDGd6vjDfd1da5epJ_u1u5pCfJkKm2eAd-2iw7FsmCBdBWnKaucmQDShbkm_kUk_2n7wPUMv68uli2xvDBou zZZqYVnPHZO7oHZTpmZMu-fdZT4OeJ26owiVes5CjcGEhtIRZip2gI0o0EYO4yxkHtQi03y8 4fw1kieE1CjXMxjm1oB04/w640-h360/CAMRA-Champion-Beer-of-Britain-winner-2023.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H-WNkx51xlYDGd6vjDfd1da5epJ_u1u5pCfJkKm2eAd-2iw7FsmCBdBWnKaucmQDShbkm_kUk_2n7wPUMv68uli2xvDBou zZZqYVnPHZO7oHZTpmZMu-fdZT4OeJ26owiVes5CjcGEhtIRZip2gI0o0EYO4yxkHtQi03y8 4fw1kieE1CjXMxjm1oB04/s725/CAMRA-Champion-Beer-of-Britain-winner-2023.jpg)
Celebrating their victory at the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival last Tuesday, the team from Elland Brewery should feel very proud of what they have achieved. 1872 Porter has been Champion Beer of Britain before, in 2013, and has also won Champion Winter Beer four times, most recently earlier this year, but set against the background of recent times it is a tremendous achievement. Only last year there had been speculation about the brewery's future as staff had left and a new team had been brought together, but as I'd found when I paid them a visit just about a year ago as they were settling in, there was something of a buzz about the place. And whilst they have subsequently changed brewers with Rob Thomas joining Joe Francis and Scott 'Hutch' Hutchinson in the business, that buzz and confidence has been maintained, culminating in 1872 Porter being judged by the tasting panel as the best in Britain.
Champion Beer of Britain co-ordinator Christine Cryne described this 6.5% strong dark ale as as "a ruby black porter, with chocolate and caramelised fruit flavours with a hint of black toffee on the nose", adding that "the judges enjoyed its smooth mouthfeel with a finish that is roasty and dry. A satisfying and remarkably easy drinking porter."The roots of Elland Brewery can be traced back to the sadly now-closed Barge and Barrel pub by the side of the canal in the small town that gives the brewery its name. In the 1990's a brewery had been set up by the avuncular John Eastwood in the former children's playroom, where he developed beers such as Nettle Thrasher, a popular bitter, and Myrtle's Temper, a strong dark ale allegedly named in honour of his wife. The beers were sold under the name of the Barge and Barrel Brewing Company in the pub and other local free houses and built up a popular following. In 2002, the Barge and Barrel Brewing Company merged with the West Yorkshire Brewery run by well-known brewer Dave Sanders, to form the Eastwood and Sanders' Fine Ales, which then became the Elland Brewery in 2006 as the two founders, finding it harder to work with each other, decided to move on. John eventually returned to brew at the Barge and Barrel, whilst Dave went on to work at several other local breweries over the subsequent years.One of the beers that had originated from the early days was this beer called 1872 Porter, a 6.5% creamy rich complex beer with chocolate and liquorice notes based on an original recipe dating back to 1872. This was the beer that really put Elland Brewery on the map, the beer winning multiple awards at CAMRA beer festivals up and down the country, culminating in being voted Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival in 2013, and then again this year. Well done, guys!
And it was two more long established, traditional beers that took Silver and Bronze to Elland's Gold. Big boys Greene King's 5% premium bitter Abbot Ale caused a surprise by winning the silver award, whilst Salopian's 4.3% golden bitter Darwin's Origin received the bronze which perhaps suggests a swing back to more traditional styles in general. Going back to the Abbot, it is one of those beers that many of us have swerved, perhaps unfairly, as it has become a stalwart of the line up at Wetherspoons, its reputation sniffily downgraded by many who should know better. Yet at one time it was a firm CAMRA favourite, revered and respected by many. When I was a student, one of my contemporaries from down south used to regularly go on about having drunk "10 points of Abbot" as a badge of honour, the beer's reputation preceding it. True, it wasn't as ubiquitous in those days as, aside from the Wetherspoons business, Greene King themselves have transformed themselves over the past 40 years from a moderately-sized regional brewer into one of the country's biggest with a national reach. And with Abbot, and their 3.6% IPA, plus other beers such as Old Speckled Hen, originally brewed by Morland of Oxford who they acquired, and Ruddles Bitter, Greene King produce a significant amount of cask beer. It was interesting that in the aftermath of Abbot's award, Twitter (or whatever it's called these days) featured a number of beer aficionados tweeting images of them "re-discovering" Abbot.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPp1hXfMom14xrXXR45DQmuVgVCk0Y1tA9NQ1a9jPj uol0aqObHuptKQdCBBUt_B1zBO_RvRC75GsSOptOQsB9g_7OUf Y6Bn_q7TxbPCndJQGSyMKozwVXsTkMoSXSqzwhez3sH-_u6cjc19pAiYubTpvMZbIjygRru7iTAD4v4Ea3lS4ta7tyucA_ 0/w640-h426/Greene%20King%20-%20Abbot%20Ale.webp (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPp1hXfMom14xrXXR45DQmuVgVCk0Y1tA9NQ1a9jPj uol0aqObHuptKQdCBBUt_B1zBO_RvRC75GsSOptOQsB9g_7OUf Y6Bn_q7TxbPCndJQGSyMKozwVXsTkMoSXSqzwhez3sH-_u6cjc19pAiYubTpvMZbIjygRru7iTAD4v4Ea3lS4ta7tyucA_ 0/s960/Greene%20King%20-%20Abbot%20Ale.webp)
Greene King Abbot (image: Greene King)
Having been on a judging panel at a beer festival myself, I know the vagaries that can impact on the process, and given the more traditional inclination of many in CAMRA, some may suggest this year's champion beers are what you'd expect, but a look back at previous winners throws up a variety of different styles. In the years since Elland 1872 Porter last won the award, other winners have included Shere Drop from Surrey Hills (the last winners pre-Covid in 2019), which is a pale ale, another pale, Goat's Milk from Church End, a bitter, Taylors Boltmaker, a red ale, Cwtch from Tiny Rebel, and a couple of stouts from, respectively, Binghams and Siren. Which I think shows that even though the judging and tasting process may not be perfect, the best beers on the day will win through whatever the style....Moving on, I made the short trip over to Bradford the other week, a city whose reputation has also taken a bit of a knock over recent years. But I have always had a soft spot for the city; friendly people, excellent curries, and some great pubs and bars, whose number like most places has diminished over the years. Last year I'd re-visited some former favourite Bradford pubs (https://chrisdyson55.blogspot.com/2022/01/bradfords-thriving-survivors.html) to see how they were faring and found them in good form. This time, I'd decided to check out a couple of more recent bars which I'd not had the chance to visit for a while.And so I headed up to North Parade, calling in at the Record Cafe. Sandwiched between a European supermarket and a solicitors, this popular cafe bar opened its doors in 2014, when its mix of cask and craft beer, vinyl, and charcuterie marked it out as somewhere different. It brought cool to the streets of a less than cool Bradford and quickly built up a loyal following of beer buffs, music lovers, and discerning folk from near and further afield. It became a regular haunt of both Bradford City fans and away supporters attending the game at nearby Valley Parade. Whilst a number of bars have sprung up over the country in recent years offering vinyl alongside the beers, and several offer cold meats, cheeses, and conteras along similar lines to here, there isn't one that manages to combine being an independent record store and bar with a quality food offering like the Record Cafe.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZYeThYrg3lDw459baXGZJtq06bOgNF2wzCBWdw7hx 7rGf761YsDslwB5CSJPEY1t5Je1b602ymZzTSmjc5woq80_CNz 66IbIIj44cnvezRk_smz14KGX7k_yVRhNwBM_a0dC5ifhUbrOg mwuvvq1oPmKJFZBk_pzAjmGXVhE7YMOHauriwCEpyoM7o/w640-h480/DSC_6273~2.JPG (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZYeThYrg3lDw459baXGZJtq06bOgNF2wzCBWdw7hx 7rGf761YsDslwB5CSJPEY1t5Je1b602ymZzTSmjc5woq80_CNz 66IbIIj44cnvezRk_smz14KGX7k_yVRhNwBM_a0dC5ifhUbrOg mwuvvq1oPmKJFZBk_pzAjmGXVhE7YMOHauriwCEpyoM7o/s4032/DSC_6273~2.JPG)
I have always found the place to be pretty chilled, and as I walked in mid-Saturday afternoon, this time was no exception. The decor is reminiscent of those sleepy continental cafes with a calm clutter about them. Hams hang from the ceiling. There are fresh flowers peeping out from a beer can on every table. Lighting is subdued, with natural light streaming in from the large front window. A cool soundtrack at just the right level plays in the background.
Several tables were occupied by a mix of groups and couples of a variety of ages, some tucking in to cold meats, olives, and cheese. The vinyl is situated on a mezzanine floor towards the back of the bar and stocks a mix of new releases and classic albums, although following a thirsty walk up from the Interchange, getting a drink was a priority, so on this occasion I didn't go to browse the wares upstairs. From the four cask beers on the bar I went for a pint of English Pale Ale, a 5% collab between North Riding and Rivington which featured a number of English hops - Jester, Opus, Harlequin, and the mysteriously-named CF302. It was golden-blonde in colour, clean, well-balanced, with an underlying maltiness giving way to a slightly dry finish. It was very delicious too, worth a rating of NBSS 3.5, although I decided to go down a notch on the strength afterwards with a half of the 4.5% Lightbulb from Verdant off the taps. It was great to visit the Record Cafe again and I look forward to calling in again soon.
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Across the road, the Sparrow was opened in 2011, starting off the independent bar scene that has grown up along North Parade. Like the Record Cafe, it attracted a wide variety of customers and was popular with football fans, but having been taken over by Kirkstall Brewery in 2018, it suddenly closed at the end of June 2023, its future unclear with any references to it removed from the Kirkstall website. It is a shame because like a lot of people it had enticed me back for a drink in the city centre for the first time for years, and hopefully it will open again as a quality bar before too long.
Fortunately, next door, the Boar & Fable was open.
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This is another welcoming and chilled-out bar, modern and stylish, which takes its name from a ferocious boar that at one time lived in the woods around Bradford. The bar is at the far end of the room as you go in, and aside from this room there is additional space in the basement. The main room has exposed brick walls, wooden bench seating with scatter cushions, along with a number of tables. A number of brewery signs adorn the walls along with a couple of screens displaying the beers on offer, of which three are on cask and a further 7 on keg, a number of those from the continent alongside on this occasion beers from Vocation, Vault City, Pilot, and Drygate. On cask there were beers from Bingley, Brewsocial, and a Northern Monk/Blackjack collab. I perched on a stool beside the bar and went for a pint of the Bad Robots 4.2% session pale from Sheffield-based Brewsocial, which was a more than acceptable NBSS 3. I then went for the collab, which was also on at the Record Cafe. Modern Golden Ale had an ABV of 4.8% and featured Amarillo and Eclipse hops, and was brewed at The Old Flax Mill, Northern Monk's original base in Holbeck. It was pale gold in colour, well-rounded in flavour, with a slightly bitter finish, a delicious NBSS 3.5 to draw things to a close.
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Another fine bar that is well worth calling when in the area. I even managed a final half a little further on North Parade at the Peacock. This split-level bar opened in 2016 offering a combination of real ale and Indian street food, and whilst both were still very much in evidence on this occasion, it seems as much like a sports bar these days with several TV screens showing the Ashes. Despite that there was a mixed crowd, with a group of ladies ordering wine at the bar as I ordered a half of a Bingley pale ale whose name I couldn't make out. I sat down and watched the cricket for a short while, and then decided to head off home, having enjoyed my brief return to North Parade....
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