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The Brew Society, Leeds

Pub added by aleand hearty
24-26 Aire Street
Leeds
LS1 4HT
Phone: 01132181923

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Old Boots left this review about The Brew Society

Super Victorian building as described by Will, it’s rather trendy with pricing to match but not hugely for Leeds. Four cask ales were available although from less usual small breweries; my hazy IPA was of mediocre quality. I only fancied a half and the glass was a two thirds measure without a half pint line so I may well have been short measured my companion’s from a different “server” had more liquid in. Comprising two rooms, both were a bit over stuffed on a Saturday afternoon visit. The counter is to the left in the front room with added bar blockers, there is more seating in the rear room. Dark grey paint job, a bit of industrio-agri chic, some nice art works, décorwise a bit of a mish mash then. Fairly typical of this part of Leeds I’d say but better beer than most.

On 24th March 2024 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about The Brew Society

I finally remembered to check this one out when changing trains in Leeds, and I'm glad that I did, It's in a spectacular building and location, a 19th century brick and stone office space or workshop that has been repurposed and surrounded by glass and steel modernism. The name, I suppose, is intended to make you think of coffee at certain times of day and beer at others, and when I arrived just before 5pm on a weekday it was almost full with people drinking alcohol of one sort or another. The only hint of coffee that I could see was the large display of cakes on the counter that made it a bit of a bottleneck at times. Service was friendly and efficient, and people were offering newcomers space at their tables, so it had a welcoming atmosphere.

The style is modern grot chic, with plaster missing from walls and ragged bricks left exposed as though the workmen were on a tea break. Some of the fixtures and fitting were interesting in a quirky sort of way. An old wooden ladder had been suspended from the ceiling with the cables for various lamps draped over its rungs; old sacks had been hung clumsily over some pipework, half in an attempt to disguise, half to act as sound baffles. The walls had a number of bird prints and something that may have been a poster advertising a William Morris exhibition; a few spaces along there were three art works for sale - small plain black on white prints that if they had been symmetrical you might have thought were for Rorschach tests. (I thought they were bargins at just £1.90 each, but apparently there was no decimal point.)

There are three hand pumps on the bar, and my half of Helmsley Howardian Gold was very good indeed. I'll definitely be bearing this one in mind for next time I've half an hour between trains in Leeds. Maybe even for a coffee.

On 13th October 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3700 recommendations about 3439 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Brew Society

Bar and coffee bar that currently opens at 11am during the week. Whilst advertising coffee, I didn't actually notice any coffee drinkers. Most customers were drinking beers.

There is a small room at the front, containing the bar on the left. Beyond that is a larger room with more seating and further beyond that was another room that seemed to contain a pool table. A couple of guys were in there when we arrived, but when they departed, they locked the door shut with a padlock. So, I'm not quite sure what was going on there.

3 real ales were on - Ilkley Joshua Jane, Brass Castle Northern Blonde & Two By Two NZ IPA. Craft beers were Kirkstall Virtuous, Northern Monk Faith, Duration Dripping Pitch, Turning Point Yellow Custard & It's Me Or The Solar Farm, Raven Hill Arete & Duckpond/Little Rain Guava Jelly Gose.

I was expecting more of a coffee shop than a bar, but the atmosphere was more like the latter, even on a midweek afternoon. This is certainly a handy place to know about and being only a couple of minutes walk from the railway station, it's highly likely we'll be back here.

On 1st September 2022 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2442 recommendations about 2441 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


ROB Camra left this review about Brew Society

This bar has now reopened as Brew Society, please note that it's card payment only.

Whatpub says that this bar is open 12 - 11 everyday. Sadly it was shut at 4 yesterday. Having now looked at their website it says it's closed on Sundays & Bank Holidays.

On 1st April 2019 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3216 recommendations about 3127 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


aleand hearty left this review about White Cloth Gallery

Yet another Leeds venue that pushes the boundaries of what a drinking space can be. The WCG appears to give equal weight to a café bar and photography/film exhibition rooms. Housed in an interesting old brick building, it’s a mere stone’s throw from the Wellington Street entrance of Leeds station. The long, narrow interior features the bar at the front and the exhibition spaces to the rear. Curiously, there is also a second smaller bar behind the main one, but I suspect this is only used when functions and events are being held.

The bar area is light and airy and features no nonsense dining tables and chairs. With several arty and media types tapping away at their laptops during my visit, the place had a quietly bohemian feel. The bar itself champions Yorkshire micros and two local beers were available on hand pump - Ilkley ‘Joshua Jane’ and Revolutions ‘E.P.’ (Beers from Saltaire and Roosters also feature regularly) Unfortunately, both seemed a little tired and something the barman said did make me wonder if they were being kept under a gas blanket. However, world bottled beers are also available, alongside wine and cocktails.

Putting my disappointment with the beer aside, I enjoyed a stroll round a retrospective of highly regarded photojournalist Tom Stoddart’s work and came out feeling edified, if nothing else. The WCG is undoubtedly a quirky, individual sort of place and overall I rather liked it. I suspect I’ll be more than willing to give it a second chance when next in the area.

On 26th November 2013 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 573 recommendations about 555 pubs]