On a particularly wild February afternoon that Bram Stoker would have approved of, the Yorkshire Beer team took the pilgrimage across the North Yorkshire moors and up the 199 steps to visit Whitby Brewery.
Situated beside the ruins of Whitby Abbey, with a fantastic view of the bay and coast, Whitby Brewery moved into these new larger landmark premises in a converted barn in 2016 after being founded close by in 2013 by Richard Wells and his team of dedicated and local brew staff. It must be said that the 199 steps are optional as there is a car park and a road (but don’t drink and drive, NATCH!).
The taproom is well appointed with plenty of wood, black tiles and taps (funnily enough – ed). As a party of 6, there was plenty of variation in our orders and we enjoyed samples of Abbey Blonde (3.8% light blonde), Lager No 9 (4.2% lager), Whitby Whaler (4.0% amber bitter) and my pint of Saltwick Nab (4.2% ruby bitter).
All beers thankfully had a sparkler and were excellently kept and served. Saltwick Nab was a buttery, malty Yorkshire best bitter that disappeared rather too quickly! In terms of setup, the main brew space is filled on a weekend with seats, a stage for live music and a proper wood fired pizza oven. Ample seating was also available outside for nicer days.
We picked up a few bottles of Jet Black and can also report that this was a good, berry heavy stout to boot.
The bar staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, and more than happy to chat about the brewery and wax lyrical on the beer beyond what the pump clip says!
Brewery tours are offered pretty much all year round but booking is advised on weekends. Included in the price of the tour are 3 x 1/3rd tasters of your choice.
Well behaved dogs and children are permitted in the tap room but must be kept on leads at all times and, for health and safety reasons, are not permitted on the 45 minute tour. Check out the Whitby Brewery website for more info.
In closing, whilst the brewery is a hike up the hill (boy did I have to hear about that, GLEN) it’s well worth it for the views and the beer. It’s a welcome change from the Spoons and such in the harbour, that’s for sure.
