Hello, welcome to the September newsletter and a special welcome to our new members!
Saying goodbye to the summer (what summer I hear you ask!), let’s hope for some sunny September days and evenings to enjoy our lovely pubs as things “gradually” get back to normal. No more lockdowns please Boris!
Nearly normal I guess. Let’s still be patient if our pubs and bars have specific requirements as they maintain the policy of protecting themselves, their staff and of course, you, the valued customer.
You will notice we’ve expanded the number of bars covered in this issue in line with Otley Pub Club constitution. We’ve included both The Curious Hop, as Marcus does sell drinks for consumption on the premises and also of course, Ian’s Shadow Brewing Tap Room – more on this below.
This month we have news of Upcoming Events in our #FamousPubTown, plus the usual Pub News and Pub Events. “And Finally” will round us off for this month. Here we go…
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Farmer’s Market (last Sunday of each month) is back up and running – backed up by the lovely Bay Horse Bazaar. Fantastic atmosphere all around town. Great to walk around followed by a swift drink or two in one of our lovely pubs.
Otley Folk Festival 17-19 September 2021
News from the OFF team:
“Well here we are, after the terrible year that we have endured, we have at last been able to put together a programme of events to mark the weekend of the Otley Folk Festival – September 17th – 19th 2021. This year’s event will be a small affair, designed to keep the profile of the festival there and to give us something to build on for the future. We have been unable to secure the Parish Church for this year but are confident that we will have it and other venues back for next year. As a result of slimming the festival down, we will only be pre-selling tickets for the Courthouse gigs:
Friday evening at the Courthouse, the fantastically talented Katie Spencer, one of the best guitar players on the circuit, a few years ago, she was spotted by bass player Danny Thompson who helped her launch her musical career. Other acts on this bill will include John Palmer, Duncan McFarlane and Anne Brivonese. Concert Ticket Price £14
Saturday evening at the Courthouse will be headlined by young folk superstars Granny’s Attic, the trio will finish the evening and support acts will include PlumHall, Michelle Plum and Nick Hall with their largely self-penned repertoire also making a name for themselves. Concert Ticket Price £18
We will also be using the Black Horse Stables for afternoon concerts. Saturday afternoon with Dave Vermond Trio and Bayou Gumbo.
Sunday afternoon with The Hall Brothers, The Gerry McNeice Band and The Jon Palmer Acoustic Band
Tickets for the Courthouse concerts are available from our website or direct from Otley Courthouse. All of the Black Horse events will be ‘pay on the door’ between five and ten pounds.
We will be putting a regularly updated programme here on the website which will include any street entertainment, keep following us, see you in September!”
*Please note that there will NOT be a festival campsite or office this year. There are several local campsites in the area.
https://www.google.com/search?q=otley+campsites&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB838GB838&oq=otley+campsites&aqs=chrome..69i57.1698j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
More info on the OFF website: http://www.otleyfolkfestival.com/
Otley2030 Festival of Kindness – OK, nowt to do with pubs directly but forgive us for giving this a push
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th 2021
The past 18 months have been difficult: some of us have experienced loneliness and grief, and all of us have experienced anxiety. But we’ve also seen a huge outpouring of kindness and Otley 2030 wants to celebrate this. We want to create a legacy to remind people that even when we feel threatened ourselves, we can find the resources to look outwards and offer support.
Themes for our first festival are ‘Kindness to Self’, ‘Kindness to Others’ and ‘Kindness to the Planet’, and there will be activities suitable for all ages; including music, dance, wellness sessions, storytelling, writing workshops, book swaps, crafting, pop-up theatre and a range of speakers from local, national, and international organisations. Most activities will be bookable but free (and some accessible online). Look out for spontaneous acts of kindness as you move about the town too!
An extensive programme of events and workshops for all ages throughout the town over the weekend. Check out the programme here:
https://www.otley2030.com/post/festival-of-kindness-events-programme
PUB NEWS
The difficult times are still with us. One indication is that some pubs have had to close at short notice for periods of isolation due to Covid infections. We’ve had some complaints about closed places. It’s very difficult for us to keep up to date (unless pubs let us know?). So, in the short term, perhaps call ahead if you are making a special journey for an event or meet? We’ve been guilty ourselves, but then again it was a very nice walk up to the Roebuck. We hadn’t spotted their Social Media posting about the temporary closure, so our own fault! But, it did give us the opportunity to visit the always wonderful Yew Tree! And, if in town there are plenty of alternatives!
Also, received comments about pubs shut in the week. Here’s our list:
Closed Mondays: Fleece, Manor, Rose&Crown, Groove Pad, Roebuck
Closed Tuesdays: Rose&Crown, Manor
Closed Wednesdays: Whitakers Arms, Manor
Closed Thursdays: Manor
Also, currently The Royalty closes at 7pm each day
If you know of any additions/changes to this list, please let us know!
Shadow Brewing
It was great to attend the trial opening of the Shadow Brewing Tap Room recently. A lovely pint and well attended. Not the finished article by any means and limited opening for now. Watch Social Media for updates on the next opening. Good luck to Ian (and the family!) on their venture.
Stop Press: Another trial opening will be taking place this Friday and Saturday 10th &11th Sept 6pm to 10pm
Getting lively up Boroughgate weekends – Tap House, White Swan & now Shadow. Manor only a short stagger! A nice excuse for a stroll out East!
Also, great to see the rooms available at The Horse & Farrier – desperately needed for the town. Pop in or call for availability and prices. The rooms at the Black Horse Hotel are also imminent. Again pop in or call for availability and prices.
PUB EVENTS
Bay Horse
The Bay Horse courtyard is looking beautiful. If you haven’t been (or noticed) the wonderful hanging basket displays, planters and newly painted murals, it’s worth a look – and why not have a drink and excellent sandwich off the menu while you’re viewing? Remember, along with the Farmer’s Market on the last Sunday of the month, there’s the Bay Horse Court Bazaar til 3pm – music, food, craft stalls etc – it’s a great addition to the already popular day.
Some confusion over the opening hours on Facebook this month, so here’s the detail:
Mon: 4pm to 11pm
Tues to Thurs: Midday to 11pm
Fri & Sat: Midday to “Late”
Sun: Midday to 11pm
Also, don’t forget the Bay Horse Loyalty Card for 10% off drinks and more events/offers soon. Pop in to see Dean or Jan for details.
Black Bull
Introducing a new and improved lunch Menu!
Available Tuesday-Fridays 12:00-3:00pm and Saturday and Sunday 12:00-4:45pm!
Every Friday night – Karaoke with DJ Fozzie 8pm til midnight
Every Saturday – 8pm until midnight, with great music from the 50’s, 60’s 70’s, 80’s 90’s and 00’s with resident DJ David Fozzie Fosbrook
Drinks offers ongoing:
House Doubles £3.50 with a “dash”, £4.50 with Premium Mixer
Double up on Premium Spirits for just £1.50 extra
Mon-Fri Happy Hour 3pm to 5pm 50p off selected drinks
Black Horse
More work undertaken in the stable yard. It’ll be great when completed. A real bonus for the town to have such an excellent space. Anyone for a Wimbledon-type sliding roof?
New offer! Who doesn’t love a chippy tea? Pensioners portion of beer battered Haddock and hand cut chips £5. Add a pint of Kirkstall cask for £2. Tues-Fri 12-5pm
Rooms available soon!
Curious Hop
Yes, we’ve decided to include the famous speciality beer and cider shop/bar in our listings. If you haven’t tried it, please pop in and see Marcus who has an extensive range of craft beers, real ale and world beers along with an amazing selection of ciders.
The (Award Winning) Fleece
More recognition for this lovely establishment as it’s voted #3 best restaurant in Otley. (By the way – 1st place went to Westbourne Spice, 2nd Mill Bar and Bistro – both amazingly brilliant, so the Fleece is in good company!) Congratulations to Geoff and the team – yet again!
Opening hours –
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
more details here: http://www.otleypubclub.co.uk/otley-pubs-present/the-fleece
Groove Pad
Always 3 great real ales on, along side a great selection of drinks, both hot and cold. Wonderful music system – ask nicely and you can pick the tunes!
Quizzes are back on Weds 8.30pm
Horse & Farrier
Now open 7 days:
Mon – Weds: 12 to 10pm
Thurs – Sat: 12 to 11pm
Sun: 12 to 10.30pm
Kitchen and rooms fully up and running – great stuff!
Full menu available:
Wednesday & Thursday: 12-8pm
Friday & Saturday: 12-9pm
Sunday 12-6pm
Reduced food menu on Mondays and Tuesdays, but still cracking pizzas and small plates 12-8pm
Junction
Live music Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8.30pm. Check out the Facebook page for who’s on.
https://www.facebook.com/thejunctioninnotley
Manor House
Now closed midweek.
Open mic sessions from 8.30pm each Friday
Live bands each Saturday
North Bar
They’ve been serving up Otley’s own Subterranean Homesick Alien from Chevin Brew Co. (7.7% DDH* so not for the faint hearted!) – where do they get these names from!
Oh yes, and welcome to new Assistant Manager Matt – more food-traders, events and even more delicious beers promised!
* What is DDH I hear you ask? Well, for you beer geeks out there: Dry hopping is the addition of aroma hops after fermentation has begun. Because the liquid is no longer hot, bitter oils are not extracted. By increasing the complex aromas, the experience of the beer’s flavour is enhanced. Double Dry Hopped (DDH) beers have been dry hopped twice during the fermentation process = extra hoppiness!
Red Lion
Great array of HDTV screens for all your sporting events
Free pool? Why not? Every Wednesday 5pm onwards
DJ ASH IS BACK!! Get yourselves down here Fridays for some great tunes!!
Roebuck
Roast Beef Sundays!
Sunday Roast – Dry Aged Strip Loin of Beef
Served all day (until is gone) along side our main menu
Booking essential – Call 01943 463063
Rookery
Cocktails, rums, gins, real and craft ales and ciders – what’s not to like in this Kirkgate gem. Don’t forget the secluded garden space to the rear. Open from 4pm weekdays and midday weekends.
Rose & Crown
Sunday lunch served between 12 – 4pm – update, kitchen closed until 12th September after brief closure. Free rocky road with every pre-booking.
They typically have: Beef, Gammon or Chicken
All served with Yorkshire puddings,fresh vegetables,mash and roast potatoes
Vegetarian options: Meatless sausage, Nut roast, Spinach and cheese Kiev.
A Selection of starters: Nacho chicken strips, Creamed garlic mushrooms and Stilton, Soup of the day
Typical Deserts: Oreo and terry orange cheese cake, Banana cake with Bailey sauce, Golden syrup sponge and custard, Triple chocolate cake
Please call ahead or check out their Facebook page for today’s menu https://www.facebook.com/Rose-Crown-Otley-101447148753553
Royalty
Great menu as always but remember they close 7pm daily for now.
Fantastic menus, including Sunday lunches of course.
View the Sunday menu here: https://the-royalty.co.uk/menus/sunday-menu/
You can book your table RIGHT HERE: https://togo.uk.com/makeBookingv2?venueid=890&nv=true
Shadow Brewery Taproom
In case you missed it earlier, another trial opening will be taking place this Friday and Saturday 10th &11th Sept 6pm to 10pm. Get along and say hi to Ian and sample his gorgeous beers.
By the way, they’re located at 98 Boroughgate, opposite the maypole.
Tap House
New opening hours:
Sun-Thurs: 12 to 10pm
Fri-Sat: 12 to 11pm
Two great offers: 2 for £10 on all double rums, gins and mixers – All day Sun to Thurs
plus the return of the Ale Club – Mon to Thurs 12-5pm – all pints of cask ales are £2.50 each
Live music thriving – Fri, Sat and Sunday – check out https://otleytaphouse.com/whats-on to keep up to date with who is on and when.
Tuesday is Quiz night at 8.15pm (50p per person). Includes Play Your Cards Right (£1 to play with cash jackpot). Great prizes.
Latest offer: Mondays – Any single burger with fries and a drink £8.45
Tavern
Coors £2.80 a pint and £2.30 during happy hour (4-6pm weekdays)
Live music/DJs return to the Tavern – Fridays and Saturdays
Weds night quiz from 8pm with a bit of bingo thrown in – not sure if it’s every Weds from now on – worth keeping an eye out!
Sunday lunches served from midday. £9.95 for an adults or £4.95 for a small. Also available for takeaway
Whitakers Arms
New Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/whitakersotley/
Happy Hour. 50p off all pints and £1 off all bottles of wine. Mon – Fri 4pm to 7pm
Interesting offer: Every Friday is now “Sh*t Shirt Night” at Whits – discounted pints for all customers wearing **** shirts from 7pm
Quiz night Thursdays at 8pm with Jack – Picture round, general knowledge and music. £1 per person to enter. Winning team takes the pot! Complimentary food during the interval for participants.
Live music/DJ every Saturday
Sunday Lunches – Booking Recommended To Avoid Disappointment.
Beef, Pork Or Chicken Dinner Available. 12pm – 4pm £8.95 / £6.95 – Regular / Small
Book Via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Or Telephone On The Following Number: 01943 968 020
Please Note Our Regular Menu Is NOT Available On A Sunday.
Cheers!
White Swan
Quiz every Wednesday with Emma and Mick 7pm for 7.30pm start. Cash prizes to be won. £1 per person entering the quiz.
Yew Tree
We will be serving delicious home-cooked food Friday and Saturday 5 til 8pm and Sunday lunch (still only £8.95)12.00 til 4pm. Booking recommended, call 01943 461330 or 07392 306247 or message us.
THURSDAY SENIORS LUNCH IS BACK!!!!! After a rather long break, we are back serving a main course and drink for just £4.95!!!!!
It’ll be so lovely to see you all again!
Quiz nights (50p entry with fun rounds and music!) are also back every Sunday 9pm til 10.30pm and the first Tuesday in the month 9pm til 10pm!
Karaoke is back! Saturday Karaoke and Disco starting at 8pm with DJ Andy
Wow, lots going on. Plenty of live music, quizzes, karaoke etc. How lucky are we to have such a vibrant pub scene on our doorstep?
Remember, if you are a publican and want your event or offers listed here and sent for free to our 650+ membership each month, just drop us an email info@otleypubclub.co.uk
AND FINALLY……..
We don’t usually do blatant advertising, but local school worker and artist Heidi Bailey has created some lovely ink drawings of Otley and it’s pubs. They really are beautiful pieces consisting of framed prints and cards. They can be viewed here:
https://www.facebook.com/Handmade-By-Heidi-I-Wish-You-Lived-Next-Door-642740319672801/
If anyone would like to purchase a framed print or cards, or is happy to have framed print up in their pub (or home) which would be for sale to customers, stock some of the cards to sell then they contact Heidi at that Facebook link.
Well, that’s it for this month folks. It looks like we might be getting some nice weather this week, at last, to enjoy outdoors drinking in our lovely #FamousPubTown, before we start the town crawl looking for smoke emanating from chimneys! Which gives me an idea, which pub has the best fire? I’ve my own thoughts but perhaps as the cold season is nearly upon us, we might well run a Facebook Poll – watch this space…
You can also follow what’s happening in the pubs, who is open and when, via our Pub Updates page at http://www.otleypubclub.co.uk/otley-pub-updates.
Again, if you’re a publican, please visit your pub’s page (just follow the link from the Updates page) and if you want your page, events, times updating just drop us an email at info@otleypubclub.co.uk
Committee meetings are up and running again along with our monthly mini-crawl socials. We’ll be advertising via Facebook events and also on Twitter and Insta when and where. Hopefully you can join us and discuss all things Otley pubs, or anything you want really.
We plan to hold more events locally in the near future to get folks back in to our lovely bars and pubs. We have a few ideas but if our members have any suggestions, we will certainly consider them. Come along to one of our monthly socials for a chat, or send us an email at info@otleypubclub.co.uk
That’s it for this month. Enjoy our #FamousPubTown – support our local businesses and above all, stay safe and well. See you around town!
The Committee
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