Ee baht ‘at: The rise of Ilkley Brewery
By: JimOldfield
April 6th, 2012
In 2009, Ilkley Brewery set out to conquer the world… with a maiden brew named after the town’s Roman name.
Their first beer, the 3.9 per cent Olicana Gold was sold at The Junction pub in nearby Baildon, as the brewery secured two permanent pumps at The Wheatley Arms, Ben Rhydding and at Bar t’at in Ilkley.
Ilkley Best (4 per cent) and the 4.3 per cent Ilkley Original soon joined the re-named Ilkley Gold – followed by what would become the famous award-winning 3.5 per center, Mary Jane.
Just months after the brewery opened, bottles of Ilkley Best were on sale in six Yorkshire Asda stores, as Mary Jane took gold at the SIBA northern region awards in the November, and followed it with a bronze win in the SIBA nationals in 2010.
Ilkley brewers (from left) Julie Brett, office manager, directors Chris Ives, Richard Shelton and
Stewart Ross, and brewery operative Graham Coultas.
At the same time, Ilkley Black (3.7 per cent) took gold for best mild at its launch at the Bradford Beer Festival, while Mary Jane took more golds at Yorkshire ale fests in Ilkley, Horsforth, Guiseley and Leyburn.
As Richard Shelton joined the company as a third director, bottles of Mary Jane, Ilkley Best and Ilkley Black went on widespread sale in supermarkets and Mary Jane made it to the House of Commons’ Strangers Bar.
Stout Mary, a 4.5 per cent oatmeal stout, was launched in autumn 2010, before Ilkley Pale, Ilkley Black and Lotus IPA all scooped bronze medals at the SIBA northern awards late in 2010.
In January 2011, the brewery secured a debt and equity package, to move from its initial premises to a new 2,600sq ft plant – with a new, 20 BBL set-up being installed, to increase production to 23,000 pints a week.
At the end of the year, the addition of a new 30-barrel fermenter took production to over 32,000 pints a week. Stout Mary demonstrated once more that the investment was well placed – grabbing bronze at the SIBA northerns… and taking the fledgling Ilkley set-up’s SIBA award-winning beers to five.
Late last year, three craft keg beers, M J Artisan Ales, were added to the fast-expanding range – MJ Pale (3.7 per cent), MJ Summit (5.4 per cent) and MJ Fortis (4.1 per cent) and in January this year, the Government-backed Local Business Accelerators campaign hailed the brewery as one of Yorkshire’s most promising companies.
At that time bottles of Mary Jane, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Black and Ilkley Pale were available in 15 Morrisons, 20 Asda and 20 Booths supermarkets.
Hand-pumped links
Visit Ilkley brewery’s website at: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk
Or the company’s blog at: www.ilkleybreweryblog.blogspot.com
You’ll find Lishman’s at: www.lishmansonline.co.uk
And David Lishman’s blog is here: www.davidlishman.com
