Market Town Taverns Yorkshire Beer Awards 2013

Cheers to Beer

2013 MTT Yorkshire Beer Awards

The cream of the Yorkshire beer scene descended on Coopers in Guiseley on Yorkshire Day, August the 1st for the inaugural Market Town Taverns Yorkshire Beer Awards.

The event was a first for Knaresborough based pub chain, Market Town Taverns who created the Yorkshire Beer Awards out of a passion for beer & the pride they have in Yorkshire’s brewing heritage.

Credibility & transparency were key to this celebration of local pub craft as 105 Yorkshire based breweries were invited to submit their beers for a blind tasted judging session. Three finalists in each category were decided on by a judging panel which consisted of industry experts, Annabel Smith (Cask Marque), Greg Mulholland (Chair of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group and MP for Leeds North West), Gavin Frost (beer blogger), Ben Hodginkinson (James Clays) and Simon Midgley (Managing Director of Market Town Taverns). There was manual voting in all 15 MTT pubs across North & West Yorkshire and online voting, which saw votes cast as far afield as St Lucia & New Zealand. In total there were nearly 2,000 votes cast across 19 different countries.

Fittingly enough the awards ceremony & presentation evening took place on Yorkshire Day where nearly 100 members of the local & national brewing community attended the event which was supported by fellow Yorkshire businesses Rudding Park, Jet2, Harrogate Spring Water, Leeds Rhinos & Yorkshire Tea. The evening was hosted by beer sommelier, award winning beer writer & TV presenter Marverine Cole and the evening raised over £2500 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

‘ Our aim was to create an annual event which would embrace & promote Yorkshire beers & brewing and the strong link Market Town Taverns has with the Yorkshire brewing community ‘ commented Simon Midgley ,Managing Director of Market Town Taverns ‘ The response from our customers, brewers & the industry as a whole has been amazing and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event being even bigger & better ‘ he added.

The overall MTT 2013 Yorkshire Beer Award Champion Beer ‘ Saltaire Pride’ brewed by Saltaire Brewery will be available in all Market Town Taverns outlets over the coming weeks.

For more information please contact :

Layla Martin – Market Town Taverns Marketing Manager

Tel : 01423 866100 / 07931 254461

E : layla@markettowntaverns.co.uk

Website : www.mttyorkshirebeerawards.co.uk / www.markettowntaverns.co.uk

Category nominees & winners

2013 MTT Yorkshire Beer Awards

Best Bitter

Frothingham Best – Great Newsome Brewery

Joshua Jane – Ilkley Brewery

WINNER :Saltaire Pride – Saltaire Brewery

Pale / Golden Beer

Citra – Great Heck Brewing Company

Deception – Abbeydale Brewery

Farmers Blonde – Bradfield Brewery

WINNER : Citra – Great Heck Brewing Company

Dark Beer

Black Maria – Old Bear Brewery

Londinium – Rooster’s Brewing Company

Riggwelter – Black Sheep Brewery

WINNER : Londinium – Rooster’s Brewing Company

IPA Beer

Fort Smith – Rooster’s Brewing Company

Stateside IPA – Saltaire Brewery

Yakima IPA – Great Heck Brewing Company

WINNER : Stateside IPA – Saltaire Brewery

Speciality Beer

Bad Kitty – Brass Castle Brewery

Imperial Russian – Black Sheep Brewery

Tabatha – Partners Brewery

WINNER : Imperial Russian – Black Sheep Brewery

Craft Keg

Humber Light – Wold Top Brewery

Saltaire Gold – Saltaire Brewery

Yorkshire Blackout – The Great Yorkshire Brewery

WINNER : Saltaire Gold – Saltaire Brewery

Best Newcomer

WINNER : Magic Rock Brewing Company

Overall Winner of the 2013 MTT Yorkshire Beer Awards

Saltaire Brewery