The Old Cock wins the 2023 Victorian Ale House Award for the best dressed pub at Otley Victorian Fayre. The picture above shows Teresa Myers, Rob Skinner (Chair of Otley Pub Club), Linda Pullan (landlady, Old Cock), Terry Ford (Otley Bellman), Meg Green with the trophy
The Old Cock pub pipped the Black Bull to win the coveted Elise Brumfitt Victorian Alehouse Award 2023, a trophy given each year for the best dressed pub at the annual Otley Victorian Fayre, on Sunday 3rd December. The trophy was awarded to the Old Cock team by Otley Bellman Terry Ford and Otley Pub Club Chair, Rob Skinner.
Several of the town’s pubs took part, with staff donning period costume as well as decorating their pubs. The Old Cock won the award because all members of staff were in Victorian Dress.
The Old Cock won the trophy, with The Black Bull in second place and the Otley Tavern in third place. The Rose and Crown, The Curious Hop Biere Café and the Rookery were all highly commended.
The award for the best individual outfit was jointly won by Mel Green (above) of the Black Bull and Meg Green of the Old Cock (below), both of whom were sporting full Victorian dresses (and working behind the bar!)
The Victorian Ale House award is organised and presented by Otley Pub Club each year and is named after Otley historian and former Otley Pub Club Pub History Officer, Elise Brumfitt, who documented the history of Otley’s famous pubs as well as writing two books about Otley and its history.
Otley Victorian Fayre was a big success overall, thanks to the hard work of the Victorian Fayre committee who have done a sterling job delivering an excellent festival in 2023. There was also snow overnight, the night before the Fayre, so volunteers were out very early morning clearing the town centre to allow the Fayre to go ahead.
Rob Skinner, Chair of Otley Pub Club said:
“It was an wonderful Otley Victorian Fayre and it was great to see Otley’s famous pubs, many of them Victorian, at the heart of this amazing occasion.
There were some excellent entries for the Elise Brumfitt Victorian Alehouse award, well done and thanks to all pubs who took part but this year especially to The Old Cock who won the 2024 trophy. Congratulations also to Mel Green of the Black Bull and Meg Green of the Old Cock, joint winners of the best individual pub costume.
“Otley Pub Club also wants to say a big thanks and congratulations to the Otley Victorian Fayre team for their huge effort in delivering this very important and lovely event for Otley”.
