(L-R): Tony Jenkins, North East & Yorkshire brewery liaison co-ordinator, Acorn’s head brewer Dave Hughes and Carol Coleman, licensee of the Victoria Family & Commercial pub in Leeds

Acorn Brewery’s famous Barnsley Bitter has triumphed as the best beer in Leeds during 2008. The top accolade comes from the city’s Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) branch following a vote among its members in the Full Measure magazine.

A presentation of the award was made at a ‘Meet the Brewer’ evening at the Victoria Family & Commercial in Great George Street, Leeds (see photograph). Acorn’s managing director and head brewer Dave Hughes said: “Competition in Leeds among cask-ales brewers is ferocious, so we are absolutely delighted that Camra members have voted our Barnsley Bitter as the number one beer in the city for 2008. It is yet more great praise for the first brand we brewed as a traditional Yorkshire style bitter when we started up six years ago.”

The chestnut coloured Barnsley Bitter (3.8%) is brewed using Maris Otter malt and English hops and has won many top accolades since Acorn launched in 2003. Last year, following a battle with beers from throughout Yorkshire, it claimed the gold title for standard strength bitters at the premier four-day Oakwood Beer Festival in Rotherham, before winning bronze in the overall Champion Beer of Yorkshire final. The Oakwood Beer Festival is Yorkshire’s premier Camra organised beer event featuring 200 beers.

In 2006 Barnsley Bitter also triumphed with silver in class at the Champion Beer of Britain Awards at Camra’s Great British Beer Festival 2006 – the biggest celebration of beer in the UK. Since then it has twice been a finalist. The original yeast strain from the Barnsley Brewery of the 1800s is used in all Acorn brands that include core beers Barnsley Gold, Old Moor Porter, Gorlovka Imperial Stout and Yorkshire Pride alongside Barnsley Bitter.

Acorn has won more than 40 awards in less than six years and has doubled production capacity following the move to a purpose-built brewery in 2007. Dave Hughes adds: “Our beers are brewed using the same yeast strain as the original and famous Barnsley Brewery, so I believe this is a real feather in the cap for the town as well as for Acorn. “