Hi members,
And a very warm Autumnal welcome to our new readers!
Well, it’s hard to imagine a wetter October, but with Otley pubs lighting their fires and offering a warm welcome, they offer a perfect place to shelter from the rain!
We hope you had a safe and good bonfire night and Halloween! There were some excellent events in Otley’s pubs yet again!
It’s our monthly meeting tonight, Thursday 7th November at the Junction 7:15pm for the meeting then the social 8:00-8:40pm, then onto The Old Cock (from 8.45pm) and then Rose & Crown (from 9.30pm). We have lots of new members that may not be aware of the “social” aspects to our monthly meetings. The format is pretty standard. Each month, we hold our committee meeting in one of our lovely pubs until 8pm. Then we invite members to come along for our “social” – basically, we take in 3 pubs during the evening and discuss all things pubs, Otley, events, and well, anything you want – Brexit chat is banned!!! Take the opportunity to meet the OPC committee and tell us your thoughts and concerns, or just come along, introduce yourself and enjoy a drink!
We’d love it if one or two of you would like a monthly excuse to pop to the pub, we still need a couple more Committee members. So if you are free most first Thursdays of the month (and like pubs!) then why not come along tonight!
SPECIAL EVENT – TUTORED BEER TASTING WITH KIRKSTALL
We’re delighted to say that we have arranged a tutored beer tasting with Steve, owner of Kirkstall Brewery,on Thursday 28th November at the Black Horse.
This is £6, but free to Premier Members (see below). Do let us know if you would like tickets as there are limited numbers. First come, first served! Simply reply to this email to reserve your place, indicating whether you are a card holder. Please don’t let that deter anyone, you can join our Card-holding Premier Membership scheme on the night!
OTLEY PUB NEWS
There’s lots of news this month, some good and some not so good.
Otley Taphouse – refurbed and open!
We’re delighted to say that Otley Taphouse is open again after an extensive refurbishment (a lot of hard work has gone in there!).
Congratulations to David and the team! Watch out for a formal re-opening event sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Groove Pad First Birthday
GrovePad are celebrating their 1st birthday on Saturday 23rd November! Andy, Marie and the team invite you along to celebrate with them!
Star/Heineken – The White Swan
We were very sad to see Chris Shippey and his team leave the pub on Sunday, many of us shared a drink with them on Saturday or Sunday.
We are deeply disappointed with owners Star Pubs and Bars (Heineken) who we had hoped would reach a sensible and fair agreement with Chris. Alas it seems that our original fears about their plans were well founded – and we now oppose what they are planning to do.
We are dismayed at the actions of Star Pubs and Bars who have gone back on their word to us and are planning to go ahead and demolish an internal wall when they had told us this wasn’t going to happen. We believe that the terms they are offering the pubs are unreasonable.
The excellent Otley Burger Company are now no longer based at the Swan either, despite this being a very successful partnership (they have moved elsewhere in Otley and will carry on serving their excellent burgers in the town including the delivery service).
So it’s very disappointing news and we feel concerned overall about Star/Heineken and the fact they own so many pubs in our town (pubs they acquired nationally from the failing Punch Taverns), not because Heineken chose to buy these particular pubs. This is a typical example of how the large companies trade pubs like monopoly pieces. Thank goodness we now have so many in local ownership.
The Junction (also Star/Heineken)
Rob and Faye have now left the Junction and the pub is up for lease. We are concerned that Star keep the Junction as a famous alehouse and members have expressed concern that the famous row of hand-pumps have suddenly acquired a keg font in the middle of them. We have written to them asking them about their plans and expressing our desire to keep the Junction at it’s legendary best.
We’ll let you know when we get a reply.
The Royalty
Danny, who did a superb job at the Royalty over the last couple of years has moved to pastures news. On behalf of Otley Pub Club we want to say a massive thanks to him and his team for making the Royalty a wonderful pub again.
We welcome Jonathan Roberts, who also runs The Fox and Hounds in Bramhope and wish him the very best running this special historic pub on the top of our beloved Chevin!
Whitakers (also Star/Heineken!)
Whits is open again after the previous manager left. The new operator Danny says he’s here ’for the long run’ and wants to make the pub a welcoming and popular place – including starting food again, and making good use of the back garden and it’s stage next year. We welcome him and wish him well at the pub.
The Bay Horse
Great to see this old favourite open and thriving once again. But don’t expect the same old Bay Horse! Dean and Jan have done a wonderful job in making the pub look fresh and inviting. OK, some final touches need to be completed, but it’s well worth a visit. The beers are lovely and expect food too in the near future – although I’m reliably informed not spicy soup!!
OTLEY BEER FESTIVAL
It’s the wonderful charity Otley Beer Festival on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd November at Otley Rugby Club run by our good friends and beerpatriots, Otley R.A.T.S. (Real Ale Tasting Society) many of whom are Pub Club members too!
Always a cracking event run by these fab and passionate volunteers – as ever we are sponsoring a cask.
See http://www.otleybeerfestival.co.uk/ for more details. Get to the beer festival and pop to one of two of Otley’s famous pubs (before or after!) too!
Pending agreement, OPC hope to have a stall at the Beer Festival where you can chat with us, purchase your Premier Membership Card and discuss all things Otley pubs. Why not come and get your Card and you’ll be all set up for the Tutored Beer Tasting the following week?
OTLEY PUB CLUB – PREMIER MEMBERSHIP
Otley Pub Membership is free, but you can be a Premier Member for an annual fee of just £10 and as a Premier Member you get a range of discounts from our local pubs and bars, PLUS access to special events like the tutored beer tasting. More events for Premier Members will be announced as we have them, but the plan is to hold quarterly events for card-holding Premier Members.
The current offers are as follows (on production of your Premier Card):
* Stew & Oyster – 10% off all drinks and food (Card holder + any party up to 6 in total)
* Yew Tree – 20% off food (Card holder + 1 and not in conjunction with the carvery or pensioners lunch)
* Royalty – 10% off drinks at the bar (cardholder + 1).
* Groove Pad & Vinyl – 10% off T-shirts & vinyls
* Ottah’s Leah – 10% discount off food and drinks
So email us or buy a card a Groove Pad, Brown’s Gallery and the Curious Hop and become a Premier Member TODAY!
PUBS & BARS EVENTS & INFO
* Groove Pad Beer & Vinyls
The Groove Pad quiz will now be every Wednesday, hosted by Lee.
* The Black Horse
15th November – Sound of the Sirens, see http://www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk/whats-on/sound-sirens2/ Every Wednesday Otley Folk Club – every Wednesday http://www.otleyfolkclub.org.uk/
* Otley Tavern
Happy Hours 4pm-7pm 50p OFF all pints, prices starting from £2.25
* Horse & Farrier
The H&F now has BT and Sky Sports to show all televised sports, plus new menu.
* The Stew and Oyster
Lunchtime Special offer. Any Stew or Sandwich with any side and a soft drink or coffee for only £8
Stew & Oyster, love local social, Yorkshire marketing co and Arundel travel are hosting the event Dec 4th 6pm.start. all local businesses welcome. Complimentary supper available. Contact Karl at S&O for more details
* The Old Cock
We are proud to be the first pub in Otley to sell local brewery @Shadow_Brewing on cask! OMBRA (name chosen by one of our regulars) is a 4.2% golden pale. Get it while you can as it’s sure to sell quick!
NEXT MONTH’S EVENTSA quick note to landlords and managers – we will happily inform people of your events, offers and offerings, but you need to tell us! So please email us by the end of each month, to tell us what you have going on the following month – and we’ll include it!
FUTURE EVENTS
* 1st December (Sunday) – Otley’s famous Victorian Fayre www.victorianfayre.co.uk
A very good excuses to also visit one of Otley’s famous pubs, of course!
Very best wishes and we hope to see some of you at the social and/or the meeting!
The Otley Pub Club Committee
www.otleypubclub.co.uk
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