Whitby Brewery, Whitby

Set high above the town in a series of buildings opposite the attractive Whitby Abbey, this is an impressive brewery taproom showcasing the wares of the town’s eponymous brewery. The servery can be found in a small room to the left of the main building – a rather inconspicuous space with a plain counter to the rear, surrounded by shelving full of the brewery’s bottled beer, much of which is in gift packs, making this feel more like a shop than a bar. The brewery is in a much larger room through a door to the right with floor to ceiling windows along the front, some of which are folding doors that can be opened out on a nice day, allowing plenty of light into the room. The brewing kit is mostly confined to the rear, allowing plenty of space at the front for a load of tables made from old pallets and stools comprised of upturned kegs with big cushions on top. As this kind of brewery taproom goes, it’s not the worst place to have an on-site drink, but what really elevates this place is the excellent gravel courtyard outside the front of the building, which offers four rows of large picnic benches and a few large upturned barrels from which to sample your beer should the weather permit. All outdoor seats come with a top-class view of the abbey and we enjoyed sitting out here as the sun slowly set after we’d spent a bit of time exploring the abbey itself. There’s a rather rustic toilet block to the left of the courtyard which I noticed a few swallows flying in and out of and when I popped in before leaving, I saw that they were nesting up in the eaves, with a few hungry chicks poking their heads out of the nests. They had four of their beers available on cask – Abbey Blonde, IPA, Saltwick Nab and Jet Black. I tried a pint of the IPA, which I thought was okay, and a quick half of the Jet Black, which is probably my favourite of theirs. The staff were all really friendly and the place was doing a roaring trade on a lovely sunny afternoon. I found Whitby Brewery beers a bit hit and miss during my time sampling them around the town, but the two I tried here were as good as any and this combined with the superb location and good service made for a very enjoyable visit. Whether I would have felt the same had I visited on a cold and wet evening, I can’t really say, but there was enough here to suggest it’s worth making a bit of effort to check out.

Mid-sized brewery tap located in an old looking but fairly modern building opposite the ancient abbey, you enter into a tiny room with a servery (four pulls and bottle shop) then can pass through into the brewing area which is set out with pallet tables and seating on plastic casks. The tables are covered in graffiti so don’t forget a pen, an LP record topped with a bottle of artificial flowers decorates each table. Other than some of the brewing vessels and a pizza oven, there’s a small stage which on this occasion housed a drum set. Additional seating and toilets are outside. It’s the brewery tap so presumably the beer’s as good as it’s going to get.

Through the previously mentioned glass doors you are faced with four hand pumps all from Whitby brewery. I had a fine IPA @ 5.2% ABV. The room to the right has been opened up to provide far more seating. It's just a shame where it is as this place is well worth coming back to.

Tiny bar in one corner of the brewery, there are only two tables/5 chairs and limited standing space. There are some benches outside if the weather is fine. Fine location nest to the Abbey and high on the cliff. Accessed through the farm/brewery yard and then via a sliding glass door. There is a display case showing the bottles you can purchase. 3 beers were on during my visit and the quality was exceptional! Opening times 11am -5pm