Acorn Brewery of Barnsley

This page is history and relates to our first branch visit. We loved it so much that we came again at the end of November 2004. Pictures relate to the original Wombwell site, not the new premises. Here's a link to some more recent pictures inside the new premises in May 2010 (we always seem to go to Acorn in the dark because it's close enough for an evening visit).

Many of the photos can be viewed at a higher definition version on this

Picasa Web Album

Happy Wakefield members chat with brewer Steve Hughes.

Hospitality Bar

Neil Jakeman of Ryhill wins the chance to be a "Brewer for a Day" at Wakefield's Merrie City Beer Festival 2003

This story appeared in the Barnsley Chronicle 5th December 2003

BITTER SNAKE BITE FOR BREWER DAVE
story by Paul Costello
A BITTER brewery boss has named a new tipple 'Snake in the Grass' after a
former worker who set up a rival brewery. Dave Hughes angered his former bosses by going it alone when the Elsecar-based Barnsley Brewery he was working for went into liquidation. He has now launched Acorn Brewery and says the special edition beer is a childish jibe by his ex-workmates who
claim he is using their recipe for a version of Barnsley Bitter. The pump
clip shows Mr Hughes' face attached to the body of a serpent that is lying
in reeds next to two acorns. He said: "I'm disgusted that they could bring out a pump clip like this as they were my workmates for many years - some
were even family friends." A spokesman for Fylde Brewing Company which
operates Barnsley Brewery said: "He's a snake in the grass because he was
our friend for a long time and when he left he told us he was going to
bring out his own beers."
Neil Jakeman was shown this Fylde Brewing pumpclip by Dave Hughes.>>

(no higher definition version of this picture available)

This apparently is not the only pop that Blackpool/Fylde have had at their ex brewer. They produced a 5% beer called 'Graverobber' which they named after Dave because he had the cheek to buy up some gear from the bankruptcy sale at Barnsley/Elsecar.

The authoritative Quaffale web-site said, before the definite closure of the Elsecar operation:

Initially first introduced in 1997, Blackpool beers were brewed at Barnsley Brewery Ltd before brewing in Blackpool commenced during November 2000. Took over Barnsley Brewery during 2001. Owning company went into liquidation in April 2002, beers since then have been contract brewed at Barnsley once more. Brewing restarted at Blackpool during April 2003, however the beer being brewed is Barnsley Bitter and not a Blackpool brand. Please note also that the name Fylde Brewing Company is being used.

NOTE: There is considerable evidence that Blackpool and Barnsley beers are regularly brewed on each others plant with no notification of the origin of the beer being available.

Update - January 2005: Blackpool brewed Barnsley Bitter is still around, hence Acorn's slogan "Brewed in Barnsley - Where else?"