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T&R Theakston is a British brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire and the sixteenth largest brewer in the United Kingdom by market share. It is the second largest under family ownership, after Shepherd Neame,^{[citation needed]} and is known for its Old Peculier beer.^[1]

The brewery is one of the few remaining in the UK to have an in-house cooperage.^{[citation needed]}

History

The business was founded in 1827 by Robert Theakston and John Wood at the Black Bull pub and brewhouse in College Lane, Masham.^{[citation needed]} By 1832, Theakston had sole ownership of the brewery and in 1875 he passed control over to his sons Thomas and Robert. They formed the T&R Theakston partnership and constructed a new brewery on Paradise Fields, near the original site.^{[citation needed]}

In 1919, the company acquired the Lightfoot Brewery, also in Masham, now home to The White Bear.^{[citation needed]}

The business grew in North Yorkshire and benefitted from renewed interest in cask ale in the 1960s. To meet growing demand T&R Theakston bought the UK Government owned Carlisle State Management Brewery. The transaction put financial strain on the business which was taken over in 1987 by Blackburn based brewer, Matthew Brown & Co Ltd. Matthew Brown was itself taken over by Scottish & Newcastle the same year.^{[citation needed]}

Following these transactions, the brewing of some Theakston beers, including Theakston Best Bitter, was transferred to Scottish & Newcastle's Tyne Brewery.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, Simon Theakston and three of his brothers purchased a majority shareholding back from Scottish & Newcastle.^[2]^[3]

Beers

The company produces cask and bottled ales. Theakston cask ales are widely available in pubs in the north of England, though are less common in other parts of the country. The bottled beers are distributed to British supermarkets and exported.^{[citation needed]}

The company produces eight permanent beers and a range of seasonal ales. The permanent ales are:

Summit (4.2% ABV) - A cask-conditioned pale ale

Barista Stout (4.2% ABV) - A nitrogen infused, coffee flavoured stout

Pale (4.5% ABV) – A hoppy, cold filtered and unpasteurised pale ale

Best Bitter (3.8% ABV) was awarded First Prize in the 1910 London Brewers Exhibition.^{[citation needed]}

XB (4.5% ABV) - A stronger bitter

Mild (3.5% ABV) - A dry Dark Mild

Lightfoot (4.1% ABV) - Golden in colour and bitter in taste

Old Peculier (5.6% ABV) - An old ale made under this name since the early 1800s. In 1989, the cask version of Old Peculier was voted Champion Strong Ale of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival. In 2000, the beer won the silver medal in the Campaign for Real Ale’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition.^{[citation needed]} It was voted Champion of Champions in the 2007 Yorkshire Beer Championship.^[4] It is named after the peculier of Masham, a peculier being a parish outside the jurisdiction of a diocese. In 1985, The Economist dubbed it the "doyen of real ales".^[5]

In 2022, Theakston launched Paradise Gold Dry Vintage Cider (6.8% ABV).^[6]

Theakston Cooperage

Theakston has one of the last remaining full-time brewery coopers in the country. Euan Findlay makes oak casks for Old Peculier beer.^{[citation needed]}

A cooper’s apprenticeship lasts four years and is marked by a ‘Trussing-In’ ceremony on completion. Euan’s ceremony in October 2021 was the first held in over 20 years.^[7]

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival

In 2004, Theakston became inaugural title sponsor of the Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and sponsors of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.^{[citation needed]}

The Harrogate event is held in July and has welcomed John Grisham, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, PD James, Ruth Rendell, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Val McDermid, Kathy Reichs, Jed Mercurio and Lynda La Plante.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Theakston Old Peculier. Theakston. Retrieved 14 May 2024
^ "Civil war brews in Masham as Theakston brothers hit the town". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
^ "Brewer goes back to its roots". BBC News. 10 September 2003. Archived from the original on 29 December 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
^ "Old Peculier takes Yorkshire title". Darlington and Stockton Times. 23 February 2007. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
^ "Old Peculier from Theakston's Brewery". theretreat.pub. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
^ Darren (6 June 2022). "Theakston goes back in time to launch a sparkling cider". beertoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
^ "Brewery marks apprentice's graduation in unusual ceremony". BBC News. 7 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

External links

[1] Theakston Old Peculier. Theakston. Retrieved 14 May 2024

[2] "Civil war brews in Masham as Theakston brothers hit the town". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.

[3] "Brewer goes back to its roots". BBC News. 10 September 2003. Archived from the original on 29 December 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2011.

[4] "Old Peculier takes Yorkshire title". Darlington and Stockton Times. 23 February 2007. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

[5] "Old Peculier from Theakston's Brewery". theretreat.pub. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

[6] Darren (6 June 2022). "Theakston goes back in time to launch a sparkling cider". beertoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

[7] "Brewery marks apprentice's graduation in unusual ceremony". BBC News. 7 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

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@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 [[File:TheakstonLogoOnBlack.png|right|thumb]]
-'''T&R Theakston''' is an English [[brewery]] in [[Masham]], [[North Yorkshire]] and the sixteenth largest brewer in the UK by market share. It is the second largest under family ownership, after [[Shepherd Neame]],{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} and is known for its Old Peculier beer.{{cn}}
+'''T&R Theakston''' is a British [[brewery]] in [[Masham]], [[North Yorkshire]] and the sixteenth largest brewer in the United Kingdom by market share. It is the second largest under family ownership, after [[Shepherd Neame]],{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} and is known for its Old Peculier beer.<ref>[https://www.theakstons.co.uk/pages/theakstons-old-peculier Theakston Old Peculier]. Theakston. Retrieved 14 May 2024</ref>
-The brewery is one of the few remaining in the UK to have an in-house cooperage.{{cn}}
+The brewery is one of the few remaining in the UK to have an in-house cooperage.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
 ==History==
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 In 1919, the company acquired the Lightfoot Brewery, also in Masham, now home to The White Bear.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
-The business became an established brewer in North Yorkshire benefitting from renewed interest in cask ale in the 1960s. To meet growing demand T&R Theakston bought the UK Government owned [[State Management Scheme|Carlisle State Management Brewery]]. The transaction put financial strain on the business which was taken over in 1987 by [[Blackburn]] based brewer, Matthew Brown & Co Ltd. Matthew Brown was itself taken over by [[Scottish & Newcastle]] the same year.{{cn}}
+The business grew in North Yorkshire and benefitted from renewed interest in cask ale in the 1960s. To meet growing demand T&R Theakston bought the UK Government owned [[State Management Scheme|Carlisle State Management Brewery]]. The transaction put financial strain on the business which was taken over in 1987 by [[Blackburn]] based brewer, Matthew Brown & Co Ltd. Matthew Brown was itself taken over by [[Scottish & Newcastle]] the same year.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
-Following these takeovers, the brewing of some Theakston beers, including Theakston Best Bitter, was transferred to Scottish & Newcastle's Tyne Brewery.{{cn}}
+Following these transactions, the brewing of some Theakston beers, including Theakston Best Bitter, was transferred to Scottish & Newcastle's Tyne Brewery.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
-In 2003, Simon Theakston and three of his brothers purchased a majority shareholding back from Scottish & Newcastle.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2862826/Civil-war-brews-in-Masham-as-Theakston-brothers-hit-the-town.html | title = Civil war brews in Masham as Theakston brothers hit the town |work=The Telegraph |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3096732.stm|title=Brewer goes back to its roots|date=10 September 2003|work=BBC News|accessdate=6 December 2011 }}</ref>
+In 2003, Simon Theakston and three of his brothers purchased a majority shareholding back from Scottish & Newcastle.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2862826/Civil-war-brews-in-Masham-as-Theakston-brothers-hit-the-town.html | title = Civil war brews in Masham as Theakston brothers hit the town | work = The Telegraph | url-access = registration | access-date = 3 April 2018 | archive-date = 13 July 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180713071627/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2862826/Civil-war-brews-in-Masham-as-Theakston-brothers-hit-the-town.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3096732.stm|title=Brewer goes back to its roots|date=10 September 2003|work=BBC News|accessdate=6 December 2011|archive-date=29 December 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031229214444/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3096732.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
 ==Beers==
 [[File:Old Peculier.jpg|thumb|Theakston Old Peculier]]
-The company produces [[cask ale|cask]] and bottled ales. Theakston cask ales are widely available in pubs in the north of England, though are less common in other parts of the country. The bottled beers are distributed to British supermarkets and exported.{{cn}}
+The company produces [[cask ale|cask]] and bottled ales. Theakston cask ales are widely available in pubs in the north of England, though are less common in other parts of the country. The bottled beers are distributed to British supermarkets and exported.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
-The company produces eight permanent beers and a range of seasonal ales. Permanent ales include:
+The company produces eight permanent beers and a range of seasonal ales. The permanent ales are:
-'''Summit''' (''4.2% [[ABV]]) -'' A cask-conditioned pale ale designed to be served at a cooler temperature of 6-8°C.
+'''Summit''' (''4.2% [[ABV]]) -'' A cask-conditioned pale ale
-'''Barista Stout''' (''4.2% ABV'') - A nitrogen infused coffee flavoured stout with caramel and vanilla flavours, hints of dark berry and a freshly roasted espresso aroma.
+'''Barista Stout''' (''4.2% ABV'') - A nitrogen infused, coffee flavoured stout
-'''Pale''' ''(4.5% ABV)'' – A hop-forward, cold filtered and unpasteurised pale ale with notes of grapefruit and tangerine.
+'''Pale''' ''(4.5% ABV)'' – A hoppy, cold filtered and unpasteurised pale ale
-'''Best Bitter''' (''3.8% [[ABV]]'') is regularly paired with XB in pubs, Theakston Best Bitter is the company's most easily found product, served in many pubs, mainly in the north of England. It was awarded First Prize in the 1910 London Brewers Exhibition.
+'''Best Bitter''' (''3.8% ABV'') was awarded First Prize in the 1910 London Brewers Exhibition.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
+'''XB''' (''4.5% ABV'') - A stronger bitter
-'''XB''' (''4.5% ABV'') is a premium strength Bitter with a more complex flavour. Launched in 1982, it was recently brought back after a two year production halt during the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darren |date=2022-02-04 |title=Theakston XB will return to bars this spring |url=https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/02/04/theakston-xb-returns/,%20https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/02/04/theakston-xb-returns/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=beertoday.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>
+'''Mild''' (''3.5% ABV'') - A dry [[Mild ale|Dark Mild]]
-'''Mild''' (''3.5% ABV'') is a dry [[Mild ale|Dark Mild]], which is now one of the last remaining nationally available Mild beer brands. It was recently relaunched in cask form due to increased customer demand for traditional brewing styles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New cask ales from St Austell and Theakston |url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2022/05/09/New-cask-ales-from-St-Austell-Brewery-and-Theakston |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=morningadvertiser.co.uk |date=9 May 2022 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
-'''Lightfoot''' (''4.1% ABV'') originally brewed as a seasonal blonde ale, but with its high popularity has become a regular Theakston brew. Golden in colour and bitter in taste.
+'''Lightfoot''' (''4.1% ABV'') - Golden in colour and bitter in taste
-'''Old Peculier''' (''5.6% ABV''), an [[old ale]], is Theakston’s most famous beer. Old Peculier has been made under this name since the early 1800s. In 1989, the cask version of Old Peculier was voted Champion Strong Ale of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival. In 2000, the beer won the silver medal in the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA)’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition. Old Peculier was also voted Champion of Champions in the 2007 Yorkshire Beer Championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Peculier takes Yorkshire title |url=https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/1216440.old-peculier-takes-yorkshire-title/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=Darlington and Stockton Times |date=23 February 2007 |language=en}}</ref>
+'''Old Peculier''' (''5.6% ABV'') - An [[old ale]] made under this name since the early 1800s. In 1989, the cask version of Old Peculier was voted Champion Strong Ale of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival. In 2000, the beer won the silver medal in the [[Campaign for Real Ale]]’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} It was voted Champion of Champions in the 2007 Yorkshire Beer Championship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Peculier takes Yorkshire title |url=https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/1216440.old-peculier-takes-yorkshire-title/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=Darlington and Stockton Times |date=23 February 2007 |language=en |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816150041/https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/1216440.old-peculier-takes-yorkshire-title/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is named after the [[Masham#St Mary's Church, Masham|peculier of Masham]], a peculier being a parish outside the jurisdiction of a diocese. In 1985, ''[[The Economist]]'' dubbed it the "doyen of real ales".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Peculier from Theakston's Brewery |url=https://www.theretreat.pub/real-ale-reading/old-peculier-from-theakstons-brewery/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=theretreat.pub |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816150044/https://www.theretreat.pub/real-ale-reading/old-peculier-from-theakstons-brewery/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In 2022, Theakston launched Paradise Gold Dry Vintage Cider ''(6.8% ABV)''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darren |date=2022-06-06 |title=Theakston goes back in time to launch a sparkling cider |url=https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/06/06/theakston-paradise-gold-cider/,%20https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/06/06/theakston-paradise-gold-cider/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=beertoday.co.uk |language=en-US |archive-date=2 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240602012359/https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/06/06/theakston-paradise-gold-cider/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-The label on the bottled version of the beer describes it as a "full bodied, rich, smooth tasting ale with a mysterious and distinctive flavour". It is named after the [[Masham#St%20Mary's%20Church%2C%20Masham|peculier of Masham]], a peculier being a parish outside the jurisdiction of a diocese. In 1985, ''[[The Economist]]'' dubbed it the "doyen of real ales".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Old Peculier from Theakston's Brewery |url=https://www.theretreat.pub/real-ale-reading/old-peculier-from-theakstons-brewery/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=theretreat.pub}}</ref>
-In 2022, Theakston launched Paradise Gold Dry Vintage Cider ''(6.8% ABV)'', a tribute to its original cider that was developed almost half a century ago.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darren |date=2022-06-06 |title=Theakston goes back in time to launch a sparkling cider |url=https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/06/06/theakston-paradise-gold-cider/,%20https://beertoday.co.uk/2022/06/06/theakston-paradise-gold-cider/ |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=beertoday.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref>
-==Visitor centre==
-The brewery runs a visitor centre at its home in Masham where guided tours are given about the actual working brewery. Visitors are invited to hear about Theakston’s long history, finding out how it selects its ingredients and learning about the methods that the brewery uses to produce its distinctive ales.
-At the end of the tour, visitors are given tokens that can be exchanged for drinks at the bar of the Black Bull in Paradise, named after the original pub (Black Bull) and the location of the new brewery (Paradise Fields).
-There is also a shop, selling bottles and cans of Theakston’s core and seasonal ales, beer glasses, T-shirts and an assortment of other souvenirs.
-Private tours are also offered on request.
 == Theakston Cooperage ==
-Theakston boasts one of the last remaining full-time brewery coopers in the country. Its current cooper, Euan Findlay, hand crafts a population of oak casks for the transportation of Old Peculier, the brewery’s most famous beer, enabling licensees in the north of England to provide beer served from the wood to their customers.
+Theakston has one of the last remaining full-time brewery coopers in the country. Euan Findlay makes oak casks for Old Peculier beer.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
-A cooper’s apprenticeship lasts four years and is marked by a ‘Trussing-In’ ceremony on completion. Euan’s ‘Trussing-In’ ceremony was held in October 2021, marking the first time that such a ceremony had been held in over 20 years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-10-07 |title=Brewery marks apprentice's graduation in unusual ceremony |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-58829231 |access-date=2022-08-16}}</ref>
+A cooper’s apprenticeship lasts four years and is marked by a ‘Trussing-In’ ceremony on completion. Euan’s ceremony in October 2021 was the first held in over 20 years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-10-07 |title=Brewery marks apprentice's graduation in unusual ceremony |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-58829231 |access-date=2022-08-16 |archive-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816150041/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-58829231 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 == Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival ==
-Theakston is the inaugural title sponsor of the Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and sponsors of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. Established in 2004, the festival is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world and annually attracts the world’s leading crime authors.
+In 2004, Theakston became inaugural title sponsor of the Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and sponsors of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
-Held in Harrogate, a town close to the Theakston Brewery, in July each year, the festival has welcomed, among many others: John Grisham, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, PD James, Ruth Rendall, Colin Dexter, Reginald Hill, Val McDermid, Kathy Reichs, Jed Mercurio and Lynda La Plante.
+The Harrogate event is held in July and has welcomed [[John Grisham]], [[Lee Child]], [[Michael Connelly]], [[PD James]], [[Ruth Rendell]], [[Colin Dexter]], [[Reginald Hill]], [[Val McDermid]], [[Kathy Reichs]], [[Jed Mercurio]] and [[Lynda La Plante]].{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
 == See also ==