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Yorkshire breweries on crest of a wave
'LOCAL beer for local people' seems to be the secret to success according to one Leeds brewer.
Sam Moss's comments came after it was revealed the number of independent breweries in West Yorkshire is the highest in the UK despite a slump in beer sales and the closure of 52 pubs a week nationally.
Mr Moss, a director of the Leeds Brewery, in Sydenham Road, Holbeck, is just one storming success thanks to the soaring popularity of real ale.
Since it was established in 2007 by Mr Moss and fellow director Michael Brothwell, the brewery has opened three of its own pubs in the city so that punters can get their hands on the 20,000 pints of home-brewed beer that are sold each week.
Mr Moss said: "I think it really is the case that people are going into their local pub and they're wanting to drink good quality locally-brewed beer. I think really it's almost as simple as that."
The brewery has three permanent beers, Leeds Best, Leeds Pale and Midnight Bell, and offers one special beer each month.
The UK now has more breweries than at any time since the Second World War with 71 new breweries starting production in the past year, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
It takes the total to 711, making the UK the "undisputed top brewing country in the world".
West Yorkshire has the most breweries at 34, followed by Norfolk with 31, Derbyshire and North Yorkshire which both have 28 and Devon with 27.
Chris Joplin from the Leeds-branch of Campaign for Real Ale said: "It's true to say Yorkshire breweries really have pioneered the golden ale, pale, hoppy beer.
"At the moment there's a lot of bad press about pubs closing left, right and centre so to learn Yorkshire is doing so well is great news.
"People need to support their local pubs and drink real ale."
Camra has this week published its annual Good Beer Guide, which lists 1,297 new pub entries as well as the new breweries.
Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide, said: "For the first time since the 19th century, Britain is the undisputed top brewing country in the world.
"While most other countries offer mainly mainstream lagers, Britain has enormous diversity – milds, bitters, strong ales, porters, stouts, barley wines, old ales, Christmas ales, spring beers, golden ales and harvest ales to name just a few. Some craft brewers are even producing lagers in the true Continental style."
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
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