Timothy Taylor's
A family-owned regional brewery in Keighley, West Yorkshire, best known for its award-winning Landlord cask pale ale.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Timothy Taylor's is the trading beer brand of Timothy Taylor Brewery, a family-owned regional brewery based in Keighley, West Yorkshire. The brewery was established in 1858 by Timothy Taylor and moved to its present Knowle Spring site in 1863. It remains closely associated with Keighley and the wider Yorkshire pub and brewing tradition. The brewery's best-known product is Landlord, a pale ale that has become one of Britain's most prominent cask-conditioned beers. The cask version is typically 4.3% alcohol by volume, while the filtered bottled version is typically 4.1%. Landlord is brewed with Styrian Goldings, Goldings and Fuggles hops and is recognized for its pale colour, hop-led aroma and balanced bitterness. The beer was originally developed with local working drinkers, including miners, in mind and was intended to compete with Barnsley Bitter. It subsequently became the brewery's dominant product, accounting for approximately 80% of output according to the cited reference material. Landlord has won the Champion Beer of Britain title at the Great British Beer Festival four times. Timothy Taylor's other established beers include Boltmaker, formerly known as Timothy Taylor's Best Bitter; Golden Best; Dark Mild; and the brewery's darker Landlord Dark, previously called Ram Tam. Knowle Spring Blonde, introduced in 2017, was the first addition to the brewery's core range since 1952. The brewery has also produced seasonal or limited beers including Le Champion, created around cycling events in Yorkshire, Poulter's Porter and Havercake Ale. Its brewing approach emphasizes traditional cask conditioning and the use of whole hops, with about 80% of production made for cask service. The brewery is also a pub operator and landlord. Its estate includes tied houses across West Yorkshire and nearby areas, with pubs in locations including Keighley, Bingley, Haworth, Halifax, Leeds, Skipton, Ripon and the Yorkshire Dales. Most are operated by tenants, while selected venues are directly run by the brewery. This pub network provides a controlled route to market for Timothy Taylor's cask beers and reinforces the brand's regional identity. The brewery's production history includes the sinking of a deep well at Knowle Spring in 1894. The artesian well continues to supply brewing water. Malting at the site ended in 1928. In 1991, a brewhouse acquired from the closed Oldham Brewery was installed at Knowle Spring, and the brewery's yeast strain also has historical links to Oldham. Timothy Taylor's has remained focused on brewing and pubs rather than becoming part of a large multinational drinks group. Its reputation rests on consistency, traditional methods, cask quality and strong associations with Yorkshire.
History
Timothy Taylor Brewery was founded in 1858 by Timothy Taylor in Keighley, in what is now West Yorkshire, England. The original brewery operated on Cook Lane. In 1863, the business moved to larger premises at Knowle Spring, the site that remains the brewery's home. The relocation established the physical base around which the brewery's later production and pub operations developed. A major piece of the site's brewing infrastructure was added in 1894, when the brewery sank a deep well. The artesian water source continues to supply the brewery and has become part of the site's long-term brewing identity. Malting was discontinued at Knowle Spring in 1928, reflecting the changing organization of brewing supply and production. In 1991, Timothy Taylor's installed a brewhouse acquired after the closure of Oldham Brewery. The brewery's yeast strain also originated historically from Oldham, linking part of its modern brewing process to another northern English brewing tradition. The company's reputation increasingly became associated with cask ale. Its brewing method uses whole hops rather than relying exclusively on processed hop products, and roughly four-fifths of production is made for cask conditioning. This focus helped the brewery build a strong position in Yorkshire pubs and among drinkers seeking traditional British bitter and pale ale. Landlord became the defining beer in the portfolio. The pale ale was originally created for miners and positioned against the locally important Barnsley Bitter. Its cask formulation is generally 4.3% ABV, while the filtered bottled version is generally 4.1% ABV. Landlord's repeated success at the Great British Beer Festival, where it was named Champion Beer of Britain four times, reinforced the brewery's standing beyond its home region. Public attention increased in 2003 after Madonna identified Landlord as her favourite beer in an interview with Jonathan Ross. The resulting publicity helped the draught beer become more widely available across the United Kingdom, while bottled Landlord expanded into retail and export channels. The brewery has maintained a portfolio broader than Landlord. Best Bitter was renamed Boltmaker in 2012 to create clearer separation from Golden Best. Boltmaker later won gold in the Bitter category at the 2014 Great British Beer Festival and was also named Champion Beer of Britain that year. Golden Best, Dark Mild and the darker Landlord Dark remain associated with the brewery's tied houses and wider distribution. Landlord Dark was previously sold as Ram Tam. Product development has included occasional beers linked to local culture and events. Le Champion was brewed for the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart in Leeds and returned in connection with the Tour de Yorkshire in subsequent years. Poulter's Porter, first brewed in 2017, commemorates Arthur Poulter, a former brewery employee who received the Victoria Cross for First World War gallantry. Havercake Ale has appeared as an occasional bottled special, while earlier bottled products included Northerner. In 2017, Timothy Taylor's introduced Knowle Spring Blonde, a 4.2% blonde beer described as the first addition to the core range since 1952. This represented a measured expansion of the range while preserving the brewery's traditional focus. The business also operates a portfolio of tied pubs across West Yorkshire and nearby districts. These venues are generally run by tenants, with some directly operated by the brewery, and provide an important setting for cask products such as Landlord and Boltmaker. Timothy Taylor's remains an active, family-owned regional brewery headquartered at Knowle Spring in Keighley. Its identity combines historic northern English brewing, a distinctive cask-led portfolio, a network of tied pubs and a reputation built around Landlord. The available reference material does not identify a parent company, public listing, current senior executives or a precise ownership structure beyond the family-owned description.
- 2019
Ram Tam renamed Landlord Dark
[1]The darker ale formerly known as Ram Tam was renamed Landlord Dark.
- 2017
Knowle Spring Blonde introduced
[1]Knowle Spring Blonde joined the brewery's core range as its first core-range addition since 1952.
- 2014
Boltmaker wins Champion Beer of Britain
[1]Boltmaker won the Bitter category at the Great British Beer Festival and received the overall Champion Beer of Britain title.
- 2012
Best Bitter renamed Boltmaker
[1]The brewery renamed Timothy Taylor's Best Bitter to Boltmaker.
- 1991
Oldham brewhouse installed
[1]A brewhouse acquired after Oldham Brewery closed was installed at Knowle Spring.
- 1928
Malting ends at Knowle Spring
[1]The brewery discontinued malting operations at its Knowle Spring premises.
- 1894
Artesian well installed
[1]A deep well was sunk at Knowle Spring and continues to provide brewing water.
- 1863
Move to Knowle Spring
[1]The brewery moved to larger premises at Knowle Spring, which remains its operating site.
- 1858
Brewery founded in Keighley
[1]Timothy Taylor established the brewery on Cook Lane in Keighley, West Yorkshire.
Products and positioning
A traditional, quality-led Yorkshire brewery centered on cask-conditioned ale, regional heritage, tied pubs and careful brewing practices.
Pale ale
Landlord
The brewery's flagship pale ale and its most widely recognized product. The cask-conditioned version is generally 4.3% ABV, while the filtered bottled version is generally 4.1%. It uses Styrian Goldings, Goldings and Fuggles hops. Originally developed for miners and intended to compete with Barnsley Bitter, Landlord became a leading British cask ale and has won Champion Beer of Britain four times. It is sold through tied pubs, guest-ale placements, retail and export channels.
Yorkshire bitter · 2012
Boltmaker
A Yorkshire bitter formerly marketed as Timothy Taylor's Best Bitter. It was renamed Boltmaker in 2012 to distinguish it from Golden Best. The cask version is generally 4% ABV and the filtered bottled version generally 4.2% ABV. It won gold in the Bitter category at the 2014 Great British Beer Festival and was named Champion Beer of Britain in the same year.
Blonde ale · 2017
Knowle Spring Blonde
A 4.2% blonde beer introduced in 2017. It was described as the brewery's first addition to its core range since 1952, giving the portfolio a lighter blonde style while retaining the brewery's traditional production focus.
Best bitter
Golden Best
An established Timothy Taylor's ale associated with the brewery's core and tied-pub range. It is referenced as a distinct product from Boltmaker, whose renaming was partly intended to improve differentiation from Golden Best.
Mild ale
Dark Mild
A darker traditional ale available in the brewery's houses. The available reference material identifies it as part of the broader Timothy Taylor's range but does not provide detailed specifications.
Dark ale · 2019
Landlord Dark
A darker ale formerly sold under the name Ram Tam. It was renamed Landlord Dark in 2019 and has been available in some supermarkets as well as in Timothy Taylor's pubs.
French-style blonde ale · 2014
Le Champion
A special blonde ale created for the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart in Leeds. The beer was brewed again for the Tour de Yorkshire in 2015 and in later event-related releases described in the reference material.
Porter · 2017
Poulter's Porter
A porter first brewed in 2017 and named for Arthur Poulter, a former brewery employee who received the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the First World War.
Special bottled ale
Havercake Ale
An occasional special bottled ale produced by Timothy Taylor's. The reference material does not provide a stable specification or regular release schedule.
Bottled ale
Northerner
A former bottled ale associated with the advertising line 'For Men of the North'. The slogan was later reworked as 'All for that taste of Taylor's' for use on brewery wagons.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Le Champion and the Tour de Yorkshire
Yorkshire · United Kingdom
The brewery revived Le Champion for the Tour de Yorkshire cycling event and continued the association between the beer, regional tourism and cycling.
Outcome. Le Champion was brewed again in subsequent event-related periods, including releases described for 2016.
- 2014Le Champion and the Tour de France Grand Depart
Yorkshire · United Kingdom
Timothy Taylor's created the French-style blonde ale Le Champion to mark the Tour de France Grand Depart in Leeds, connecting the brewery with a major cycling event held in Yorkshire.
Outcome. The beer became a recurring event-linked release and was brewed again for later Yorkshire cycling events.
Brand decisions
2019
Rename Ram Tam as Landlord DarkGeneration changeBackground
The brewery adjusted the naming of its darker ale to connect it more closely with the established Landlord brand family.
Action taken
Ram Tam was renamed Landlord Dark.
Aftermath
Landlord Dark continued to appear in selected supermarkets and Timothy Taylor's pubs.
2017
Add Knowle Spring Blonde to the core rangeProduct launchBackground
The brewery expanded its established ale portfolio while maintaining its traditional brewing identity.
Action taken
Timothy Taylor's introduced the 4.2% Knowle Spring Blonde.
Aftermath
The beer became part of the brewery's core range and was described as the first core-range addition since 1952.
2014
Create Le Champion for the Tour de France Grand DepartProduct launchBackground
The Tour de France Grand Depart was held in Yorkshire, including Leeds, providing a regional platform for an event-specific beer.
Action taken
The brewery brewed the French-style blonde ale Le Champion.
Aftermath
The beer returned for later Yorkshire cycling events, including the Tour de Yorkshire.
2012
Rename Best Bitter as BoltmakerStrategyBackground
The brewery wanted to make the product more clearly distinguishable from Golden Best within its ale portfolio.
Action taken
Timothy Taylor's changed the name of Best Bitter to Boltmaker.
Aftermath
Boltmaker subsequently won gold in its category and the Champion Beer of Britain title at the 2014 Great British Beer Festival.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Timothy Taylor’s brewery wins Golden Award[3]
Reported:
Timothy Taylor’s brewery in Keighley won a Golden Award marking 50 years of the Bradford Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
Sources3 sources
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