Raising a glass to the welcome return of Tetley to its Leeds heartland

Cheers! The story of how Tetley's became an integral part of Leeds life for almost 200 years

The original source dried up in 2011 when the old Tetley plant in Hunslet closed and production of the flagship variety of bitter moved to Wolverhampton.

The fact, then, that the new Tetley’s is being produced in a microbrewery that was formerly a rival concern, appears on the face of it to be a dilution of Yorkshire’s brewing tradition, a tactic by the marketing department.

Welcome home: Tetley beer to be brewed in Leeds once again

But let’s not be churlish.

Microbreweries are not only popular but produce ale to a consistently higher quality than some of the multinationals. They have achieved what seemed at one time to be an impossibility: to tackle the rise of lager.

Taverner: Why Tetley's No 3 Pale Ale is a genuine attempt to create something special

Lager still sells in huge amounts but real ale is on the rise, and not just among older drinkers.

And in any case, the fact that Holbeck will now be turning out No3 Pale Ale to a recipe from 1868, will be as welcome to many as the return of an old friend.

The return of Tetley beer to the city is worth raising a glass to. Every city has its own landmark ale and Leeds and Tetley go very well together.

The scale may be smaller, but a little moderation never did anyone any harm.