War of roses could get thornier as brewery launches charity beer

Knaresborough-based Rooster’s Brewery is bringing out 900 gallons of its new White Rose beer to coincide with Yorkshire Day on August 1, the Yorkshire Post has learned.

The announcement comes as family-owned Cropton Brewery, near Pickering on the edge of the North York Moors, is battling Tadcaster-based brewery Samuel Smith’s in the High Court over the use of the white rose on its bottles of Yorkshire Warrior Ale.

Last year Samuel Smith’s, which has used a white rose since the 1960s, issued Cropton Brewery with a writ claiming its use of the “stylised white rose device” is a trademark infringement that is “confusingly similar” to its own logo.

Rooster’s secured a trademark on the White Rose name for its beer in 2001, but has chosen a picture of a local hospice rather than the emblem to place on the pump clips.

Tom Fozard, operations director at the brewery, said: “This is something that we have been planning for a while.

“It is obviously nothing to do with Sam Smith’s as we own the trademark.

“But I do hope common sense prevails.

“The white rose is an emblem that represents something much more than just a beer, it represents Yorkshire and a whole county.

“Yorkshire brewers need to stick together.”

The new four per cent ale, whose tasting notes claim it has a hint of citrus and berry fruit, will raise £10 from each nine gallon firkin sold for Martin House Children’s Hospice. Samuel Smith’s did not wish to comment.