New Leeds Heritage Beer Tours will share city’s beer history

A new tour sharing the history of beer in Leeds is being launched at the end of this month.

Leeds Heritage Beer Tours will take visitors on a journey into the city’s beer history; visiting some of Leeds’ famous old beer venues while sampling traditional ales along the way.

The new independent tour has been set up by Mike Hampshire, an experienced tour guide with the national UK Brewery Tours company.

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He said: “I really enjoy taking people on tours with UK Brewery Tours, but I really wanted to do something a bit more focused on the rich heritage of beer in Leeds.”

It’s well known that Leeds was the home of Tetley’s brewery for almost 200 years, but the tour isn’t all about the world-famous brewery. The tour will also take in four other venues, including Whitelocks, one of Leeds’ oldest pubs.

Mr Hampshire added: “I can’t do the tour without telling the story of Tetley’s Brewery, so we start off at The Tetley, the former headquarters of the brewery. However, I have spent a lot of time researching the history about other beer in the area, particularly during the Victorian era and later.

“Beer in Leeds isn’t just about brewing; it’s about the pub and social aspect too. Hopefully in a fun and interactive way, I’m bringing an era of beer to life, that people are not so familiar with and will enjoy.”

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The tour takes around three hours, spending half an hour in each of the five venues. The price of a ticket also includes a drink in each place.

The first public tours take place at 6.30pm on Wednesday, June 26, and Wednesday, July 24 with a special tour on Wednesday, August 28 to coincide with Leeds Beer Week 2019. Visit www.mikestaproom.co.uk/leeds-beer-tours to book.