So here we are into 2013 and with even more fun and events but what happened in 2012 well lets look back!
Jan - Our first month of trading without the excitement of Christmas as with January it started off slow and there were a couple of times when I thought what on earth have I done but as the month trotted along it was all systems go the shop was looking fuller and with new customers arriving everyday. The end of the month saw our first meet the brewer night it was with Little Valley and we tucked into all their beers and heard how they set up and got going it was a great night and there was plenty of beer flowing and a good gathering of 17 meant that this was something that was wanted.
Feb - Saw a big pile of snow drop on Ossett just in time for the 2nd Beer festival I had a great time drinking and a lot of money was raised for the Lion's we were not involved in the festival but maybe next time in Feb 2014. The same weekend we also took part in the Riding's centre Yorkshire market its a friendly little set up but the snow put a lot of people off. It also saw the arrival of Buxton and Great Newsome beers to our shop and in late Feb we held our first ladies night with Body Shop there was a mass of stuff being applied and it made the shop smell nice for a couple of days :)
Mar - We had stout week to promote good stuff rather than the black stuff from Dublin and at the end of the month we had Cider and Cheese night which people are still taking about and fear not it will be back again sometime this year. Nicola our lovely host paired a load of different ciders with cheeses to match. That stinking bishop still gives my tongue nightmares.
Apr - James from Two roses in Barnsley came and did a meet the brewer session great story behind the set up and a huge range for everyone to sample. Really good evening was had by all
May - We held our first beer festival Mild Fest with Wakefield CAMRA the full house signs were up and we had 4 draught milds and 11 in bottles. It will take place again in 2013 17th May has been pencilled in. A couple of weeks after this we went from mild to full on craft as Brewdog came to do a tasting session. Some quality beers were served including AB:08
June - It was the Queens jubilee and as Ossett held a picnic in the square we joined other local businesses to do our first full outdoor bar. Ossett, Leeds and krombacher were all on draught and of course we sold out. The week after was the start of Euro 2012 we had a beer from each country playing apart from one but we kicked Croatia out and replaced them. It seems to go down well with people travelling from all over for a Euro box I can't see us doing one for the world cup but you never know. In between all of that we headed down the road to Horbury for their street festival on fathers day weekend. Which gave us our busiest day ever today. And then as June ended we flocked to Ossett with the help of hundreds of people the town was a wash with wool and sheep everything was covered and we were there with our mungo's mash which sold out by lunch time.
July - Inbeween the rain the sun did shine and it shined for Ossett Gala again we gave the people draught beer and plenty of it. The night before I was in deepest Holmfirth at a hen party I wasn't the stripper more pity them but was doing Champagne tasting see its not only just about beer.
August - It was all about London as I headed to the big smoke but not for the games but for the Great British Beer Festival in its old but new home. Plenty was drunk and I even picked up some Dogfish head beer.
September - Was massive we were invited to do the bar at the vicar's garden party and again it was one of those odd days where the sun was out. It was the same the week after as we did the scarecrow festival in Ossett everyone was loving the North Yorkshire Cereal Killer (get it) that we had on draught. One first trip to Barnsley followed the Sunday after as we were at Wentworth Castle lovely place with a cracking food and craft market and we will be there again next year. Then came holmfirth food and drink festival the people were loving the sun and were loving us so much we had to stay for an extra hour as people were lapping up the udder cider and draught beer. We should be their again in 2013.
Then it came as months of planning Oktoberfest Ossett. Beers were sourced from Germany for all of the beer tents and Clarks in Wakefield produced Hoppy Oktoberfest for us ready for our big night we were rammed for this as people from right across Yorkshire turned up to tuck into the beers and plate fulls of German sausage and mash from Crocodile sisters. The music was on and it went well into the night. More next year for sure!
And not forgetting the Revolutions meet the brewer night that certainly boost their sales
October - Well we managed to see off about 500 bottles of Oktoberfest beer just in time for the first batch of Christmas beer to arrive which only lasted a few days. That's the power of Five Towns beers when they arrive here. In the middle of it all we went to the Cricketers in Horbury to sample our beer Hoppy Oktoberfest I managed to have a pint before it had ran off. It was good! Then with cooker in tow and a boot full of beer we went to Ripley castle for two days where the mulled cider had the first outing of the year.
November - Christmas prep was now in full swing as we hit the Dewsbury homemade festival where we sold lots of Christmas gift packs and trialled mulled beer it went well but needs a lot of mulling! As the Christmas beers were arriving they were being stripped off the shelves but we kept up.
We were also back at Wentworth castle and at the Ossett Christmas light switch on where the rain tried but failed to put a damp squid of things as we were selling plenty of mulled cider and wine even the local MP loved our mulled cider compared to the out of towners who came to sell cider.
Which then lead us to our first bottle launch with Geeves coming to launch Smokey Joe and also do tasting of their other newly launched beers. The smokey Joe is dam fine and has lead to an increase in sales of all our smoked beers. From the really smoked one to the lighter one you should give them a go.
December - Blimey we knew we were going to be busy but not this busy! We smashed daily taking records all over the place and doubled our record taking day for it then to be beaten again. From gifts to cases to mini casks we were selling it. And Christmas eve saw the last couple of bottles of Christmas theme beer leave us not bad out of 600 bottles. But if that wasn't all we were doing events here, there and everywhere. The first Sunday saw us freeze in Holmfirth Sunday Christmas market at least we were busy to keep us that little bit warm. I did manage to nip to the Nook for ten Min's to have a quick pint and warm up by their open fire.
We then BOB alonged to Ossett the -5 temp kept a lot of people away but we were packed as people popped in for mulled cider, warm cherry beer and some sizzling chorizo and again we went well pass the 7pm end of events. The next night 26 of us headed down the hill to Ossett Brewery on our 1st brewery tour. A look around and then 2 hours of drinking fine beer was had. More tours next year.
The last weekend before Christmas saw two events take place first up was our Belgium beer night where we sampled 15 different beers in all different styles followed by our party on the Saturday where we fuddled and chatted.
So that was last year and 2013 has lots to offer so keep in touch to find out more. Remember we couldn't have done it with you. Enjoy your beers and ciders.
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