Real Ale and Craft Beer in the Merrie City

Ossett Brewery is an independent beer creator based in Ossett, with a growing portfolio of pubs and bars across the district. Their first Wakefield city centre venue was Luis Bar at Fernandes Brewery – and you can still enjoy a pint there today!

Former winner of Yorkshire CAMRA Pub of the Year, Fernandes is steeped in brewing history since 1850. Luis Bar is a tribute to the Portuguese immigrant Luis Fernandes who constructed the three story maltings building in the 1800s and is a beer lover’s paradise. Purchased by Ossett Brewery Pub company in 2007, founder Jamie Lawson originally converted the Fernandes homebrew shop into a Belgian beer bar and later in 2021 the ground and upper floor become one venue. Luis Bar was born as a fitting tribute to local brewing history.

📍 Avison Yard (off Kirkgate), Wakefield, WF1 1UA
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Close to Wakefield Cathedral, The Black Rock is an attractive Grade II listed city centre pub notable for its tiled entrance. Once inside, you’ll find a cosy ‘L’-shaped bar with very traditional furniture and décor.

The Black Rock has a great selection of up to seven cask beers on the bar to choose from, as well as the usual keg and lager selections. Plus there’s no need for your four-legged friend to feel left out, there’s even a beer on the bar just for them – the aptly named Bottom Sniffer by Woof & Brew.

CAMRA-award winning pub consecutive years 2021/2022.

📍 Cross Square, Wakefield, WF1 1PQ
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Another Ossett Brewery venue in the city is The Hop, a converted Victorian building that retains many original features. With over 50 years brewing experience and over 35 years knowledge of the music industry (The Hop is a joint venture with Ossett Brewery and Mike Heaton, drummer for chart-topping band Embrace), The Hop combines traditional real ale, a fantastic range of drinks with a twist and live music to create an innovative vibe in Wakefield city centre.

Pop out the back to the large courtyard and you can while away a long summer’s evening with friends while enjoying the atmosphere, great music and top-quality beers.

📍 Bank Street, Wakefield, WF1 1EH
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Harry’s Bar is a Wakefield institution. Step inside and you’re greeted by crackling log fires, timbered ceilings, and the kind of warm, old-world atmosphere that makes time slow down. With the recent addition of a smart outdoor area, there’s now a little more breathing room in this ever-popular spot – though its cosy charm and loyal following mean it never stays quiet for long.

Harry’s Bar stocks a great line up of up to eight cask beers alongside cider and a couple of keg beers, and always has a range varying in styles and strengths.

Wakefield CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017.

📍 Westgate, Wakefield, WF1 1EL
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You might think that The Exchange Tap is a new kid on the block in Wakefield’s real ale scene, but it’s run by some familiar faces! Run by the Jolly Boys Brewery – formerly behind the much-loved Jolly Tap on Northgate – this stylish bar within WX Wakefield Exchange brings a modern edge to the city’s real ale scene while keeping its roots firmly in tradition. With a rotating selection of well-kept cask ales, craft beers and ciders, there’s always something new to try, whether you’re perched at the bar or soaking up the lively atmosphere with friends.

Better still, there’s even an on-site brewery, so you can enjoy some of the freshest beer in the city – straight from the source.

📍 Union Street, Wakefield, WF1 3AD
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The Cricketers Beerhouse is a great local pub with great beer; a multi-award winning CAMRA beerhouse. Built in 1898, The Cricketers is a traditional red brick Victorian building with timber frame frontage to the third storey. On the bar you will find 8 real casks ales with a permanent from Timothy Taylor’s plus 7 rotating guest beers from the best brewers in the country.

There are a wide range of other draught products including a permanent craft line dedicated to Magic Rock Brewing, 4 rotating craft beer lines, continental lagers and fruit beer. The Cricketers stocks a wide range of world and UK craft beers as well as an extensive range of gins, tequilas and other spirits.

📍 Cluntergate, Horbury, WF4 5AG
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The Calder Vale, down at Horbury Junction, incorporates Luddite Brewery and boasts a substantial beer garden. A core range of six Luddite hand-pulled ales (mild, bitter, stout, IPA, pale and lite) are usually on the bar with support from ever changing specials.

The Calder Vale is a mid-Victorian commercial hotel, lovingly restored to highlight local industrial heritage and to retain its original features and ambience. Every Friday is pie night, live music is played every Sunday and there’s comedy once a month too!

📍 Millfield Road, Horbury Junction, WF4 5EB
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Set in a picturesque location between the Calder and Hebble Canal and the River Calder in Horbury Bridge is The Bingley is a joint venture between SALT Beer Factory and Ossett Brewery and enjoys stunning views of the surrounding waterways.

The venue creatively combines the SALT influenced contemporary look with Ossett’s traditional style, with a huge range of award-winning craft beer from SALT, alongside traditional cask ales from Ossett, it is sure to be every beer-lovers’ heaven.

Delicious Asian street food is up for grabs on the second floor by street food vendor, Baobros23, famous in West Yorkshire for their award-winning Asian steamed buns!

📍 Bridge Road, Horbury, WF4 5QA
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Boons is a lively, chatty and comfortably unpretentious pub located in the heart of Horbury. Boons attracts all types of punter, from older couples to young lads, so as long as you enjoy your ale you’ll be welcome.

There’s usually around half a dozen ales on tap, as well as a fantastic selection of spirits, mixers and wines. With a sizeable beer garden for summer and a roaring log fire for winter, you’re sure to be kept comfortable at any time of year in Boons.

📍 Queen Street, Horbury, WF4 6LP
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The Old Grocers was the first micropub to open in Pontefract, and became an integral part of the kickstart to the nightlife scene in the town. An independently run pub, they serve the finest cask and keg ales, and it’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy a chat with friends and family.

Wakefield CAMRA pub of the year 2024 – the first time a pub outside of the city has won.

📍 Beastfair, Pontefract, WF8 1AL
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The beautiful King’s Arms sits atop the peaceful Heath Common just a few minutes’ drive from Wakefield city centre. Inside this Grade II listed pub (another Ossett Brewery venue) you will find a delightful maze of cosy rooms and snugs.

The stunning location, fabulous beer gardens and intimate atmosphere teams superbly with exquisite fayre and a wide selection of real ales, making a wonderful old-fashioned watering hole.

📍 Heath Common, Heath, WF1 5SL
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The Mallard at Moorthorpe Station is a Jolly Boys Brewery pub in South Kirkby. Opened in May 2023, this lovely station platform pub comprises of a main bar, a snug and a light corridor overlooking the track.

With a nod to the station’s wonderful historic past, the ales are bang up to date featuring contemporary crowd-pleasing lagers and, of course, a terrific selection of Jolly Boys’ ales.

📍 Moorthorpe Station, South Kirkby, WF9 3AT
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As well as boutique accommodation, The Mews Hotel in Ossett contains a cosy bar that serves traditional hand pulled ales and excellent bar meals.

A welcoming and cosy retreat to wind down after a hard day’s work, The Mews is a very popular and friendly public bar serving a range of traditional real ales and fine wines, available as you relax in front of the fire on a cold evening, or out in the beer garden when the sun makes an appearance.

📍 Dale Street, Ossett, WF5 9HN
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One of the oldest public houses in Pontefract The Robin Hood is an award winning pub that serves four changing and two regular beers. The pub offers a cosy and welcoming environment, with a fantastic selection of beers and friendly staff. If you like your beer with a side of music, you’ll love that The Robin Hood is the home of the CAT Club (classic album Thursdays) and features monthly event and gigs upstairs in the pubs event space ‘The Pigeon Loft’.

With cosy snugs, open fires and two outside drinking areas, you’re sure of the perfect setting for a pint whatever the season.

📍 Wakefield Road, Pontefract, WF8 4HN
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The New Inn, Walton pride themselves on being a homely village pub – and they’re a pretty good one at that. Enjoy a pint of one of the hand pulled local ales (three regulars plus changing guest beers) alongside home cooked, heart warming food created from locally sourced produce.

Now with a new and improved extensive beer garden, with various areas of seating, you can enjoy a drink al fresco. Weather not quite up to it? Book one of the new heated pods to enjoy the outdoors come rain or shine!

📍 Shay Lane, Walton, WF2 6LA
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The Brewers 1841 is the original home of Ossett Brewery (in fact, it’s just round the corner from the brewery!), located at the bottom of Healey Road in Ossett.

This unique pub offers a fantastic range of quality real ales, tasty wood-fired pizzas and is dog-friendly.

📍 Low Mill Road, Ossett, WF5 8ND
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The Bradley Arms is an inn in North Featherstone that goes back over 200 years. With a roaring open fire for the winter months, or a large spacious beer garden out rear, with a children’s play area during the summer, the pub is friendly and has a relaxing atmosphere.

The beer garden isn’t just for a quiet pint though – check out the stage that hosts regular live al fresco music, including a regular acoustic evening that’s open to everyone.

📍 Willow Lane, North Featherstone, WF7 1BG
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The Robin in Altofts is a wonderful cosy community village pub near Normanton. Serving up to six real ales and 18 kegs you certainly won’t leave thirsty!

The Robin Altofts is a dog friendly pub, offering water bowls and snacks on request. If your four-legged pal doesn’t want to sit inside, there’s a spacious patio at the top of the carpark.

📍 Church Road, Altofts, WF6 2NJ
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The Junction in Castleford is notable for its dedication to delivering the highest quality of pint from wooden casks. Proudly presenting the idea of a traditional pub, you know you’re in good hands when the list of beers is freshly handwritten each day.

At ‘The Junction’ no detail is overlooked to deliver the best pint. A new cooling system has been installed in the cellars keeping the beers at the optimum temperature. The beer is pulled up from the wooden barrels, by top of the range pumps, originally designed for Melbourne Ales. You drink your beer in a pub full of traditional furniture with open fires. Come and experience this unique atmosphere yourself.

📍 Carlton Street, Castleford, WF10 1EE
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The Masons Arms is a 16th century coaching inn with open fires and cosy stone fireplaces, located in the beautiful West Yorkshire village of Ackworth. They welcome all their customers, old and new, to their relaxed and friendly venue. Whether you want a quiet drink or to listen to live music over the weekend, The Masons Arms is the perfect spot for you.

The spacious and comfortable beer garden is a very popular feature in the summer months, so make sure to get there early!

📍 Bell Lane, Ackworth, WF7 7JD
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