Preparations are under way for the Tetley Heritage Weekend, celebrating 200 years of Tetley Brewery, on 30th April and 1st May.
A hydrometer dating back to the early 1900s
This year marks 200 years since Joshua Tetley founded Tetley’s Brewery in Hunslet, Leeds. The weekend provides an opportunity for people to get hands on with brewery artefacts from the archive.
The event is being hosted by Leeds Beer Tours founder Mike Hampshire at The Tetley, Hunslet Lane, Leeds. “Although the brewery is no longer here, there is still every reason to celebrate Joshua Tetley and what his brewery did for the city of Leeds after it was founded in 1822,” said Mike.
He dug into the archive in the basement of The Tetley and recovered some exciting artefacts for people to explore. “This is a rare chance to see what lives in the archive at The Tetley. From a hydrometer dating back to the early 1900s, to mash paddles, printing blocks, and more. I will be demonstrating how some of these items worked and allowing the public to get hands on with some of them, too.”
There are bookable timeslots available throughout each day, costing £10 per person and lasting approximately 45 minutes. During each session Mike will also share stories from the late 1800s and early 1900s about the brewery, that were featured in local newspapers.
Various cellar items which would have been used to keep Tetley’s beer
He said: “There are some interesting letters published by Tetley Brewery in 1900, seeking to assure the public that their beer did not contain arsenic! I will explain why. There is also a long-running story where Tetley Brewery took on the local council after several workers fell ill. The council blamed the free beer allowance brewery workers received, but that was not entirely true.”
As part of the experience, Anthony Williams, bar and events manager of The Tetley’s Bar and Kitchen, has curated drinks options too.
“For those who would like a drink during a session, we have some add-ons available,” said Anthony. “There will be a Tetley tasting board of three different Tetley’s beers, or a chance for people to pull their own pint of Tetley’s cask ale.”
• Tickets are available from the Leeds Beer Tours website.
