So our bloggers crawl ended at the Templar, the obligatory old-school Tetley pub occupied by all of Leeds society, including plenty of the tradesmen notable by their absence on the Boar Lane strip.
It really is gorgeous, and the hand pumps are classics.
“Pint of Tetley please”
“Tetley ?!”
“Yes, Tetley”
“Are you quite sure ?”
“Have the Three Swords” insisted Richard, a noted craft beer bully.
It’s fair to assume this conversation wouldn’t have taken place in 2009, when Roger Protz penned a marvellous paean to Tetley in Morning Advertiser (link here). “Tetley’s cask beers are superb“. They certainly were, and on monthly trips to Quarry Hill I’d always nip in the basic place near the Minster for pint. Who drinks Tetley’s now, anyway ?
The Templar is run by Greene King (this week), so it can only be customer loyalty that keeps it on the bar with such good local beers available on the list. Or perhaps they really do only keep it for eccentric pub tickers. Whoever they are.
I’m reminded a lot of the Nottingham House in Cleethorpes, a similarly lively community local with good beer turnover. Actually, the Tets was better there; here it was a very competently kept version of a mediocre beer. And I like Banks’s. Checking now, it wasn’t great last time I had it, over in Parbold.
Aided by rather more impressive Kirkstalls 3 Swords, at some point in the evening Richard coined the phrase “pubitechtural” to describe a pub with pubby characteristics. Well done, Richard.
Simon mentioned “Toulouse-Lautrec“. I thought it was a Degas, but “By the time I get to Phoenix” was playing at the time so I may have been mistaken.
I’d given myself about 12 minutes to catch the last train to Bradford. I missed that, giving me a perfect excuse to finally visit, and survive, the Duncan.
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or the Sam Smiths Stout, but Leeds looked pretty gorgeous that night.
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retiredmartin 
A lovely interior there at the Templar – must put that on the list for my next visit to Leeds (along with the Duncan).
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Even by Sams’ standard’s that last photo looks like a cracking heritage pub…
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Ho ho. That’s the Gem Elliott, of course.
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The Templar is indeed a veritable institution – a proper pub in the heart of the city that feels more like a local. The staff are brilliant and the beers are always on top form, through very rapid turnover and excellent cellarmanship. The pub is spotlessly clean, the staff are superb and they keep a very good house. The diverse clientele comes from a wide cross section of society but everyone can say – All Leeds Are We!
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“Richard coined the phrase “pubitechtural” to describe a pub with pubby characteristics. Well done, Richard.”
Agreed. Bloody good show. 🙂
“This is what a proper pub looks like”
Worth repeating. Yep, that’s what I think of with regards to a proper (classic?) pub.
Cheers
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There was a brief window of about five years when Tetley’s was making a push to get into the US market; happy memories of having it on tap at a place in San Francisco circa 2003. Honestly I miss it, and if I ever saw it anywhere now I’d stock up. But, like so many British beers I love, it seems the tide of expert opinion has turned against it. Maybe now it’s down to you, me, and Roger Protz. : )
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