Teesdale pubs are top of the hops!

Six pubs across the breadth of the dale have been listed in the Campaign For Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide 2027.

From Langdon Beck in the west near the Cumbrian border, to Ingleton’s Black Horse near the Darlington boundary in the east, ale aficionados can enjoy a six-stop tour across the district.

Others to earn the distinction are Teesdale Hotel in Middleton-in-Teesdale, Cotherstone’s Red Lion, Barnard Castle’s Old Well Inn and Ovington’s Four Alls.

Rima Chatterjee of the Old Well Inn described inclusion as a privilege because of how difficult it is to manage real ale.

She said: “It is not like lagers.

“If you don’t have drinkers drinking it, you will be serving stale ale.

“Real ale drinkers are very discerning customers, if you don’t keep your ales well, you won’t be in the book.”

Her husband Roy added: “It has a five-day life.

“They will tell you immediately if it is about to go.”

The Old Well has five ales on tap at any time and during their recent beer festival patrons had a choice of ten.

Langdon Beck Hotel also has a large selection with four beers on tap.

It has been in the Good Beer Guide for the past four years.

Landlady Jane Coates explained that CAMRA Darlington members often visit by the busload for a “Dales and Ales” tour.

She said: “They come and inspect.

“Literally we had 20 or 30 people here with clipboards drinking.”

Neil Scott of the hotel added: “It was like being in a library because it was really quiet.”

He added that an ale produced by Allendale Brewery called Langdon Beck is the most popular with customers.

It is a similar situation at the Old Well where Rima said a number of people search out places listed in the guide and often come as groups.

David Falconer of the Teesdale Hotel has three ales on tap at any given time.

He said: “Black Sheep is a regular, which is local, and then we try and get beers from as local as possible.

“We use Yard of Ale from Ferryhill, Mithril Ale from Alborough St John, and Allendale.”

Of the benefit of being in the guide, he said: “I have had a number of customers mention that they have seen us in the Good Beer Guide.

“It’s an intangible benefit, it is almost impossible to put a finger on how many people it does bring in, but it is a good form of advertising.”

It is a triple celebration for Cotherstone’s Red Lion pub which has not only appeared in the Good Beer Guide every year for almost two decades, but was also voted Country Pub of the Year and runner-up Cider Pub of the Year by CAMRA Darlington.

The wet pub has two beers on tap, Butter Tubs and Aysgarth Falls, both from Yorkshire Dales Brewery.

Landlord Richard Robinson said being listed is significant.

He added: “I think the recognition from the members is the most important thing because you can’t pay to be in the Good Beer Guide.

“It is something the members vote so you have the approval of people who appreciate and understand cask ale.”

Also on tap is a unique craft cider, Kemps Cider, which is brewed at Brafferton, near Darlington, with apples grown on site.

CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “The Good Beer Guide is fiercely independent, just like the brewers making the best beer.

“It is the result of the time and effort of our volunteers across the UK to find the pubs serving the best cask beer.

“This year, we released our flagship report, Beer in the UK, alongside our campaign to expose how Big Beer is dominating the UK market and how ordinary drinkers and independent brewers lose out as a result.

“Because of that, we need the Competition and Markets Authority to start a formal investigation of the UK on-trade beer market.

“If you agree with us, please join CAMRA, buy the guide and find amazing independently brewed beers for yourself.”

CAMRA’s data shows that 137 breweries closed in the past year, with only 57 new ones opening.