retiredmartin

April 2026. Bradford.

I miss Richard Coldwell. A funny, intelligent, opinionated man, he would have had interesting things to say about pork pies and pub opening times. He’d have had an opinion on cafes like the Dales Cottage putting their entire menus on blackboards along the wall, too.

I’d been putting off a trip to Skipton as the Yorkshireman, new in the 2026 Beer Guide, had entered a post-Christmas hiatus followed by a temporary closure due to work pressures.

“H***y pub” you say ? Well, I’m not that uncharitable. Without lunch trade it’s hard to make a living from evening trade alone, so not surprising how many micros seem to open when the owner turns up from a second (or first) job. I could never be a publican.

But we’re here, and the Yorkshireman is open under new management, days after being booted out of the GBG by a branch that can’t really justify recommending folk visit a closed pub anymore.

They’re proud of their county here;

The good news is, it’s friendly, the beer’s really good,

a Theakston and Northern Brothers both cool and tasty (NBSS 3.5). A pint, a half (ugh), a coke and a packet of mini cheddars are under a tenner, which feels a bargain by North Yorkshire standards.

It’s a micro, but there’s decent bench seating round the side, where Mrs RM sneakily bags a table, and more than expected high tables in the centre.

Has it changed with new management ? No idea, I wasn’t there before but it’s certainly still popular, though the trade is largely Fosters and Brixton rather than cask.

But at least they’ve kept to the selling point of only selling Yorkshire products.