Tetleys of Leeds – in memorium

[oldboots]

In 1822 Joshua Tetley began brewing in the Holbeck area of Leeds, by 1840 Tetley & Sons was the biggest brewer in Leeds and by 1851 was probably the biggest in Yorkshire. At the end of the 19th century Tetleys employed as many people as the major Burton brewers such as Worthington or Ind Coope. In the 20th century Tetleys had a variety of owners but brewing continued in Leeds. On the 17th June 2011 this will come to an end when current owners Carlsberg close the Leeds brewery.

On the 4th June some of the workers at Tetleys held their final pub crawl of Leeds calling at The Templars, Palace, Victoria, Horse & Trumpet and the Scarborough. Here are some pictures taken in the Scarborough of the occasion.557558559560561562563

[Crossste]

Sad to hear of the brewery closing and the job losses that will ensue.

I have always maintained there is no such thing as bad beer, just different beer but Tetley (Leeds) made a bloody good effort to prove my theory wrong.

[Spinko]

Sad to hear of the brewery closing and the job losses that will ensue.

I have always maintained there is no such thing as bad beer, just different beer but Tetley (Leeds) made a bloody good effort to prove my theory wrong.

There were no compulsory job losses from what I have heard.

[aleandhearty]

Definitely the end of an era. I have a great fondness for the brewery on several levels. Tetley Bitter was the dominant ‘gateway’ beer that got me drinking real ale in the seventies, during my teens. It’s debatably not the beer it was, but how many are? Look at Landlord. However, I still think their mild is a decent drink.

There’s always been such a strong sense of local identity with the brewery. The familiar huntsman pink logo, the gold lettering and the soothing red neon glow all let you know you’re in West Yorkshire. They may well continue after the Leeds closure, but that magical association will be lost. When I was younger there was always something quite comforting about spotting that first Tetley pub when returning home.

On Wednesday evenings, over the last few weeks, I’ve been on a course in Leeds, based in a building a stone’s throw from the brewery gates. There’s been a certain poignancy looking over at the huge neon sign at twilight, knowing that closure was imminent.

Oh well, I’m sure the good folk of Leeds can look forward to speculative investors building several hundred more one bedroom apartments and angular, jutting office blocks that they won’t be able to sell / rent.

[Wittenden]

[QUOTE=aleandhearty;33302]
but that magical association will be lost. When I was younger there was always something quite comforting about spotting that first Tetley pub when returning home.


Same with Fremlins in Kent, and countless others the length and breadth of the land. For my sins, I didn't beat a path to the Tetley pump in my more recent visits to God's Own County,but I did enjoy the odd pint of MILD.

[Brewguru]

Definitely the end of an era. I have a great fondness for the brewery on several levels. Tetley Bitter was the dominant ‘gateway’ beer that got me drinking real ale in the seventies, during my teens. It’s debatably not the beer it was, but how many are? Look at Landlord. However, I still think their mild is a decent drink.

Not being from Yorkshire I never had that local affinity but as one the first real ales I came across as a youth in the late 80s early 90s I concur - it was a fabulous weaning bitter. Even then I recall massive variations in quality, some pints seemed sublime with a rich creamy maltiness on top of the bitterness, more often then not it was served in poor condition with cardboard or vinegary notes which at the time I didn't realise was due to the beer being off. Have since heard that it is a difficult beer to serve right when away from its heartland - probably due to mistreatment and improper storage by Carlsberg and its distributors.

Shame they won't allow it to do a Theakstons - which seems to have come out of S&Ns shadow succesfully and is brewing good beer in Masham.

[hondo]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/leeds_tetley_s_the_brewery_that_served_its_communi ty_1_3454505

[hondo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-13669044

[Drinkin Donuts]

There’s always been such a strong sense of local identity with the brewery. The familiar huntsman pink logo, the gold lettering and the soothing red neon glow all let you know you’re in West Yorkshire. They may well continue after the Leeds closure, but that magical association will be lost.

This is the key, A&H, quite right. The closure ...oh no, wait a mo' ...the relocation is symbolic. It's not about the beer, it's about the end of an almost 200 year close association with the city, the county, and its citizens. Regardless of what you think about the beer, mourn the loss of the symbol.

[Oggwyn Trench]

To be honest i have always had a soft spot for Tetley , back when i started drinking in the early 80s it was one of the few cask ales available(Bass , Pedigree and Wem being the others) and walking past a dozen pubs to get a pint of real beer was the norm , i think we sometimes forget how lucky we are these days when it comes to real ale

[Strongers]

I’ve never drunk Tetleys as in the smoke it usually turns up in smooth flow form, but the name does fill me with thoughts of flat caps and whippets which, like the young lad on the Hovis bicycle, I find quite endearing.

[oldboots]

I’ve never drunk Tetleys as in the smoke it usually turns up in smooth flow form, but the name does fill me with thoughts of flat caps and whippets which, like the young lad on the Hovis bicycle, I find quite endearing.

Ah yes "that" Hovis advert filmed in the famous northern town of Shaftesbury in, err................ Dorset.

[oldboots]

A couple of Tetley's closure related events I'm been told about:

Leeds Brewery - goodbye to Tetleys weekend 10-12th June at the Midnight Bell (I'm off to it this Sunday lunchtime)

interwebby stuff here (http://www.aswiftone.com/2011/05/say-goodbye-to-tetleys.html), here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2011/apr/18/leeds-today-tetley-event-town-hall-tavern-revamp-sikh-vaisakhi-festival) and here (http://goodpeopleeats.blogspot.com/2011/04/say-goodbye-to-tetleys-with-leeds.html).

CAMRA will be holding a wake outside the brewery on the 18th June, possibly involving the old "undertaker and coffin" stuff they used to be famous for in the 1970s.

If anyone hears of anything else, why not stick it on here?

I am reliably informed that there is no truth in the rumour that Tetleys will be buried at sea just so Spinko can dance on its grave :D.

[aleandhearty]

Leeds Brewery - goodbye to Tetleys weekend 10-12th June at the Midnight Bell (I'm off to it this Sunday lunchtime)


What time are you going 'ob'? If I can get a pass out from she who must be obeyed, we could meet up at the MB and maybe have a wander.

[oldboots]

What time are you going 'ob'? If I can get a pass out from she who must be obeyed, we could meet up at the MB and maybe have a wander.

Sounds good, my plan is to get into Leeds bus stn at about 12:00 then walk down to the Midnight Bell for a few then maybe the delights of Holbeck :cheers: the Grove, Cross Keys and Hop may be involved I expect.

[Maldenman]

I certainly remember back in the early '80s that Leeds Tetley's was vastly superior to the bilge we generally were served up with west of the Pennines being the Tetley's from Warrington. I still don't know whether there was a relationship between the two, eg a family split/separate brewery etc but the two beers bore no similarity at all. Leeds Tetley Bitter was a great session beer, smooth and creamy with a tight not frothy head.
Shame the brewery is closing and if the beer is to be brewed elsewhere I doubt it will be the same.

[oldboots]

I certainly remember back in the early '80s that Leeds Tetley's was vastly superior to the bilge we generally were served up with west of the Pennines being the Tetley's from Warrington. I still don't know whether there was a relationship between the two, eg a family split/separate brewery etc but the two beers bore no similarity at all. Leeds Tetley Bitter was a great session beer, smooth and creamy with a tight not frothy head.
Shame the brewery is closing and if the beer is to be brewed elsewhere I doubt it will be the same.

They were entirely separate companies until 1960 when they merged to form Tetley-Walker and then merged with Ind Coope and Ansells in 1961 to form Allied Breweries.

Taylor-Walker of London was also a separate company to Walkers of Warrington (and Burton once upon a time). Walkers of Warrington were also linked to Cains of Liverpool at one time (1921).

Allied-Lyons merged with Carlsberg in 1992.

The Wikipedia page on Allied Breweries tells it fairly accurately from what I can see.

[hondo]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/leeds_tetley_s_war_memorial_to_stay_put_1_3478387

[hondo]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/90901

[Wittenden]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/90901

Ah,Draught Bass! I must admit to having almost forgotten it, though for a while I drank it regularily, with reverence. It was in my early twenties, in my first "proper job", and I felt it was a grown up beer. Even then, I think it was an old man's drink, but again, an epitome of English Beer.I'm not sure who brews it now, but apparently they're making quite a good fist of it. Must try it again before it goes forever.

[oldboots]

Ah,Draught Bass! .......... I'm not sure who brews it now, but apparently they're making quite a good fist of it. Must try it again before it goes forever.

AFAIK it's Steve Wellington (who works for Molson-Coors :eek:) at either the old Bass Museum brewery or his new super-duper million pound jobby (paid for by Molson Coors :eek::eek:), he also makes draught White Shield and "proper" Worthington E. All of course back in Burton on Trent.


BTW I don't think they're using Unions though as it's only Marstons who still have them.

[hondo]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/fosters-buyer-must-keep-abbotsford-20110622-1geog.html

[oldboots]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/fosters-buyer-must-keep-abbotsford-20110622-1geog.html

Well the buyers always say, "brewing is guaranteed to continue here for the foreseeable future, no plans to close anything, jobs are safe, blah, blah".

Months later this becomes "it's very regretable but... market forces....downturn in sales.....blah blah blah"

I'm sure we could list them all from the last 20 or 30 years from Ruddles to Tetleys


.............and Sharps is next I don't doubt.

[trainman]

http://www.smh.com.au/business/fosters-buyer-must-keep-abbotsford-20110622-1geog.html

British brewing giant SAB Miller??

[rpadam]

British brewing giant SAB Miller??"British" as in listed on the London Stock Exchange...

[hondo]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/leeds_tetley_brewery_sell_off_begins_1_3501557

[hondo]

"Piles of bricks are all that remain of some of the historic Tetley’s Brewery buildings."
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/leeds_tetley_s_brewery_buildings_reduced_to_rubble _1_4077803

[oldboots]

"Piles of bricks are all that remain of some of the historic Tetley’s Brewery buildings."
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/leeds_tetley_s_brewery_buildings_reduced_to_rubble _1_4077803


I heard they were going to sell bricks as souvenirs.