Lifestyle: Acorn Brewery, La Casita, I’m from Yorkshire

BARNSLEY bitter, a beverage from Acorn Brewery, has won a silver medal at a real ale industry national competition.

Drinkers from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) awarded the iconic Barnsley brew second prize at the Great British Beer Festival this week.

Acorn’s Barnsley Gold real ale and its bottled Gorlovka stout also made it through the finals of CAMRA’s national championships.

Owner of Acorn Brewery Dave Hughes said: “We are thrilled to bring back a silver medal for Barnsley Bitter from this year’s Great British Beer Festival.

“We’ve brewed Barnsley Bitter for 12 years now and its consistent high quality has been recognised year on year by a string of regional and national awards including a previous silver medal from CAMRA in 2006.

“But the competition is getting tougher as this thriving industry grows and we’re very proud that our Barnsley Bitter is still up there with the best nationally and continuing to win gongs today.

“It is fantastic to get this national recognition from CAMRA – they are the beer drinking experts and know a fine real ale when they taste one.”

Barnsley Bitter has made it to the CAMRA national finals eight times previously. The beer also won a silver award from the UK’s Society of Independent Brewers in March this year.

Wombell-based Acorn Brewery,produces six permanent ales; Barnsley Bitter, Barnsley Gold, Yorkshire Pride, Blonde, Gorlovka and Old Moor Porter, as well as a range of seasonal IPAs and kegged beers.

Acorn was set up in 2003 and now produces around 30,000 pints of real ale every week.

Sales have increased 12% in the past 12 months and the brewery now delivers direct to more than 400 pubs and bars in the North and Midlands.

Acorn sells into the UK’s top five supermarket chains and 50 independent retailers, and has begun exporting its bottled beer to Italy via a wholesale customer.

Acorn currently has a turnover of £1.2 million and employs 12 people.

The company also owns the Old Number 7 pub in Barnsley town centre, which it acquired in 2011, and between eight and 10% of all its beer is now sold there.

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TAPAS bar La Casita officially opened its doors last week in Boston Spa.

On the high street in Boston Spa two centre, the 1,000 sq ft, two storey site has been renovated in a traditional Spanish style with a 30-cover restaurant, with an extra 20 covers outside in the courtyard.

The bar offers tapas dishes, each paired with cavas, Spanish craft beer and sangria.

La Casita’s co-owners, Simon Miller, Oliver Renton and Ben Riley, led the festivities. “Mr Miller said: We’re thrilled to be opening our second site here in Boston Spa a little over a year after our first Spanish bar opened in Ilkley.

“The reception we have received over the last few weeks has been really encouraging and it’s fantastic to now see people enjoying the full Spanish tapas and drinking experience in this newly renovated space.”

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Two entrepreneurs have launched an e-commerce fashion business.

I’m from Yorkshire was originally launched as an online community in 2013 allowing users to share and showcase photographs from across the region.

Kristian Wilkinson and Edward McConville then evolved the business, designing and printing Yorkshire-themed clothing.

Mr Conville said: “Whilst the business is still very much focused on the community that we have built, there is no denying that the products we create are hugely popular. We can now offer them clothing and merchandise. We stock hundreds of t-shirts and a wide range of other items including flags, keyrings, phone cases, mugs, shopper bags and cards that showcase sayings and icons synonymous with the county.

“All of our products are developed following suggestions from the community; we use the feedback that we receive on Facebook to develop new ideas and bring these to life. That is the power of social media and the main driving force for the e-commerce side of our business. Giving the people what they want!”

The duo are already working with numerous councils in the area and a handful of independent gift shops.

Mr Wilkinson said: “Our ambition next year is to see our t-shirts and merchandise stocked in shops across the region. The range is an ideal addition for gift stores or retailers that have high footfall from Yorkshire folk.”