We're still with Allied Breweries today. Possibly the least bunch of twats of the Big Six. And the brewers of one of my favourite beers of all time, the wonderful Tetley’s Mild.
An Ind Coope pub wouldn't have been my first choice of pub in London. I knew they had pubs in Leeds that were swapped with Tetley in the 1960s, but I was surprised at some of them. Like the Cross Green, Garden Gate and Hyde Park. Pubs that I drank in and thought were typical Tetley's pubs. I can remember seeing one (particularly run down) pub in Leeds in 1975 that still had an Ind Coope sign up.
Ind Coope (Romford)
Romford,
Essex.
Founded: 1800
Closed: 1992
Tied houses:
The most southerly of all the Allied breweries. I tried the Bitter in a few London pubs and it was OK, but nothing particularly impressive or distinctive.
Tetley Walker (Leeds)
Leeds,
West Yorkshire.
Founded: 1822
Closed: 2011
Tied houses: 1,100
The brewery of Joshua Tetley, one of the largest in Yorkshire. And home of my beloved Tetley’s Mild. It served cask in most of its pubs, especially in the Leeds area. Where I lived for the second half of the 1970s.
Tetley Walker (Warrington)
Warrington,
Lancashire.
Founded: 1864
Closed: 1996
Tied houses:
Merged with Joshua Tetley in 1960 to form Tetley Walker. I had their beer a few times when west of the Pennines. I didn’t think they were as good as those brewed in Leeds.
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4 comments:
All my life, if I was ever certain about anything, it was that Tetley's brewery would never close down. It was central to the lives of so many people that it just couldn't happen.
Looking back now, given the city centre location, I suppose it was inevitable.
LIving in Newcastle in the mid 70s that was pretty much a real ale desert, I'd quite often pop down to York on the train, precharge on a few tins of Broon from the buffet, and then hit the Tetleys at a wee pub not far from the Shambles. Hand pumped, creamy goodness from the tight sparkler.
It was a genuine old man's pub, nothing touristic about it and many a conversation with geezers in cloth caps and Gannex macs.
Pity I never tried the mild, I wasn't really a "Scotch" drinker back then.
I drank many, many gallons of Warrington brewed Tetley Bitter.Ilved three doors from a Tetley Walker pub. Compared to the Leeds version of the bitter, I always felt it was cleaner and more conditioned, with the Leeds version being a tad flatter and creamier. The mild was a fine beer too, though I can't recall comparing them.
Seems like Tetleys mild by the time that beer mat or pump clip was produced was fairly dark.
Oscar
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