Leeds’s walking talking beer lovers

Fancy a fun walking tour of Leeds, learning a little about the city’s history while enjoying Yorkshire beer at a string of great pubs? Or a lively guided beer tasting event with friends and colleagues?

Two Leeds beer experts will share their passion for the subject in a new business venture which draws on their years of experience.

For almost 30 years, Simon Jenkins wrote the weekly beer and pub column Taverner for the Yorkshire Evening Post and has also written two books on the subject – The Great Leeds Pub Crawl and The Yorkshire Beer Bible. Nicky Massen is a former PR officer for the famous Joshua Tetley & Son Brewery in Leeds. She later worked as a corporate communications manager for Carlsberg in Leeds and Northampton.

Together they have established It’s The Beer Talking, which will offer a range of curated beer expe-riences which lean heavily on the huge range of great ales that are produced in God’s Own Country.

Walks are on June 30 and July 9. “I’ve been leading occasional beer walks in Leeds for many years,” says Simon. “It’s an amazing and fascinating city. On our circular route you can learn a little about its history and its people and the key events which have shaped its development.

“You’ll learn how our city is still shaped by its 13th century geography, how it was the scene of audacious industrial espionage, the key role it played in the birth of world cinema – and about an ex-traordinary human auction, where people were sold to the highest bidder, a little over a century ago. And we’ll have a few beers too, of course!”

Nicky adds: “This standard tour takes around two hours, but we can tailor the route to suit people’s requirements, if they would like to book a private bespoke walking tour.”

The pair are also organising curated beer tasting events, where Simon’s years of expertise and experience enable him to guide participants through different styles and varieties of beer, discussing their history and development, and encourage people to describe exactly what they can taste.

“Most of all, these events are fun, interactive, and lively,” says Nicky.
“These can either be private parties for friends, or corporate events for businesses. We held a recent event for a local design firm who wanted to thank their staff for their work during the pandemic. After two years during which many people have had to work from home, our beer tastings can be the perfect social event to get them back together.”

To find out more or book on one of the walks, visit the website: www.itsthebeertalking.co.uk or email Nicky and Simon on cheers@itsthebeertalking.co.uk