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Ridiculous that Leeds can't sustain a brewery
The etching on the Tetley's pint glass proudly boasts brewed in Yorkshire since 1822.
'For how much longer?' was the question on drinkers' lips across Leeds yesterday after it was announced the historic city centre brewery will shut by 2011.
Bob Jones, left, landlord of Spencers (formerly the Black Lion) near Leeds station, said: "We put an order in for a new Tetley's hand pump 12 months ago as ours is bent. But it still hasn't arrived and I had a feeling something was up.
"The irony is we only bought the glasses off the brewery three months ago. It's ridiculous that a city this size, with the amount of pubs it's got and how central it is in Yorkshire can't sustain a brewery."
Customer Linda Little, 60, from Aberford, said it was a "very sad day" for Leeds.
Her friend Gina Nicholson, 62, from Seacroft, added: "The Government banned smoking in pubs so what do they expect?
"I hate having to stand outside and people are put off from going out for a drink."
Next door in the Scarbrough Hotel Brian Endersby, 70, from Leeds, said: "I used to drink Tetley's but stopped because you never got what was brewed in Leeds sold in Leeds – so why have a brewery here?"
But son Peter, 39, added: "It's a real shame. People know Leeds for its Tetley's Brewery, the shire horses, the pubs."
Lee Pearson, 37, landlord of the Garden Gate in Hunslet which is an historic Tetley's pub, said: "It's disgusting that a piece of Leeds's history is going to disappear.
"We are losing a lot of business but that's because of the smoking ban and tax increases on beer."
Albert Bradley, organiser of the Wakefield Beer Festival which starts today, said: "It's sad as it's a bit of brewing's and Leeds's history that is going to be gone."
Wife Joan added: "The site must be worth a fortune. We've already seen the old museum go and be redeveloped so it wouldn't be a surprise if a similar thing happened to the brewery site."
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
