They did that's correct. As I remember the brewery was in Thurlstone where they bought another pub. The beer was pretty close to the original. When John Smiths stopped production of BB they introduced their replacement called Starlight which didn't last long because it was dreadful.
The trouble was that homebrew kits are just not how commercial breweries brew beer, just an easy shortcut....but a crap easy shortcut. I had a friend who brewed from kits, he'd drink half a gallon before he went out to the boozer...he brought some for me to try....I didn't hurt his feelings but in reality it was undrinkable p**s.
A local brew to me was called Darleys and everyone had a low opinion of it, but after visiting the brewery I couldn't believe how nice it was, so I do think some brews don't travel but oakwell certainly did.
Used to sell Wards in the Vic at Hemsworth when it was a very popular place. Joke was that it was pumped directly from old bricky pond across the road. Edit. Vic was Darleys. Beeches club was Wards, both boozers long gone now. Makes you wonder why an establishment would get into bed with a brewery that’s not popular with all. Back in the day, Websters, Whitbread & Wilson’s bitter we’re all sold in our locals, and all acquired tastes. Johns & Tetleys sold a lot better.
I think your memory's playing tricks GK....when they closed Oakwell all the beer supplied to Barnsley Brewery pubs was was keg John Smiths from Tadcaster. Starlight was one of those exposed in the press, it was made by Watneys and was so weak it could have legally been sold in the USA under prohibition....around 2.8% I think. You might have seen Starlight in a club or untied free house, but all Barnsley Bitter tied houses were forced to take John Smiths.
I was born in 1948 so you could say I was weaned on Barnsley Bitter. It's easy to look back with 'rose tinted specs' but there were indifferent pints to be found. The quality was down to how the landlord kept his cellar. It was a major sense of pride for landlords. You often would hear a drinker say I go to the 'So & So 'cos he keeps a good cellar. My favourite of my mispent youth was the 'Fitz' in Sackville street. Primarily it was the beer, but it had a fantastic Jukebox that was voted the best pub jukebox in UK by the music press.
Brewing in Thurlstone makes sense as The Huntsman, the pub you're probably thinking about, was the other pub where I supped the same Barnsley Bitter as I'd sampled at the Hewer and Brewer.
The Fitz was our pub of choice when I was studying at the Tech. They did really good pie and peas as well.
Correct, foul stuff, an aftertaste that lasted for days, similar to Vaux bitter, a northeast brew I think.
Not the music press but the 'International Times' or 'OZ', I can't remember which, but it was the first time I heard Sonny Boy Williamson. The stuff on the juke box was unbelievable.
Darley's IPA.. when looked after properly was a beautiful beer, not strong, but still gorgeous..my old man and I used to regularly drive over to Thorne to drink it, mainly in The Rising Sun, but also the Corner Pin/North Eastern and the Green Dragon. Closer to home the Old Crown in South Kirby and the Vine Tavern in Doncaster sold it.
The Breweries owned 99% of the pubs in those days, the landlord sold what he was told to sell. Of the beers you've named Webster's ( Halifax) and Wilson's (Manchester) were both owned by Watney's of London, they took over local breweries all over the country as did John Smiths and Tetley's owners. Whitbread and Watney in the 60's/70's were amongst the worst culprits for selling p**s.
All down to taste...I sold Wards for nearly 30 years, the traditional cask conditioned beer, looked after properly was excellent ( but the aroma wasn't to everyones taste admittedly)..the snag was most of the Wards sold in and around Barnsley was pressurised keg beer sold by landlords and club stewards who didn't care, or if selling the traditional brew had never dealt with it before and didn't know how to look after it. .
The brewery was actually called Rockside and it was brewed in an outhouse of the owners bungalow in Thurlstone..they moved after a couple of years to an industrial unit on Pontefract Rd.
