It was always going to be a tough challenge … but even the worst the British weather could throw at them failed to halt them in their tracks.

Three teams – two from Huddersfield – took on the Yorkshire three peaks with a massive twist as they each carried a barrel of beer with them, aiming to raise £5,000 for Huddersfield-based charity Project Youth Cancer.

It would be a tough ask in fine weather, but when they did it they faced torrential rain that was so bad it was described as “dangerous.”

Birkby-based Magic Rock Brewing and The Sportsman on St John’s Road in Huddersfield town centre did the challenge as The Sportsman has supported the charity, formerly known as the Laura Crane Trust, for the last 10 years.

They were joined by The West Riding in Dewsbury and staff from the Beerhouses group which has all three pubs for the challenge which saw them lugging three casks of beer up and down the Yorkshire Three Peaks – Ingleborough, Pen-y-Ghent, and Whernside – which they named the Yorkshire 3 Pints Challenge.

Each team did one peak so The Sportsman team tackled Pen-y-Gent, the Magic Rock Team went up Ingleborough while the West Riding team conquered Whernside. Each carried 36 pints in their barrel, making it a total of 108 pints lugged up and down the peaks.

The Magic Rock team

Ryan Robinson, assistant manager at The Sportsman, came up with the idea as part of The Sportsman’s 15th anniversary celebrations this year as being part of the Beerhouses group.

Although the pub is 94 years old it has been part of the Beerhouses pub group since 2009.

Ryan recruited fellow Huddersfield business Magic Rock Brewery to not only do the challenge but to create three special beers to take up the peaks. These beers are available at all five Beerhouses pubs and the two Magic Rock Taprooms.

Through a combination of sponsorship for the challenge itself, 15p per pint of the special beers sold and Ryan donating all his tips, they have raised £3,500 so far and fully expect to reach the £5,000 target very soon.

Ryan said: “It was hard. The weather was, quite frankly, dangerous but every single person still did their part. This project genuinely wouldn’t have been possible without such a determined team and I’m so proud of every single one of them.

“I’d also like to thank each and every person who donated to this cause no matter how big or small a donation. Every penny has helped us get to the total we’re at now and with the raffles we have left and everything else we should get pretty close to that £5,000 target but if we fall short I’ve given Project Youth Cancer my word that every tip I get will go towards them until we reach that target.”

The Sportsman is one of the most historic pubs in Huddersfield. Built in 1930 as an ‘improved pub’  – theses were pubs with several rooms offering food and leisure activities to reduce the emphasis on drinking alcohol – it retains many original features.

It became part of the Dewsbury-based Beerhouses pub group in April 2009 when it was renovated to its former 1950s glory, winning the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) and Historic England Pub Design Award for Conservation in 2010. The pub was granted Grade II listed status in 2019.

Other 15th anniversary celebrations lined up include a tutored cider tasting event with Udders Orchard on Friday, April 19, at 8pm which also celebrates The Sportsman winning Huddersfield CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year for the last three years running. Tickets are available at https://fb.me/e/5fMeTRnKb.

The pub is also hosting a big ‘birthday scran’ event on Friday, April 26, at 5pm when Sam Smith, who managed the pub 15 years ago, will be cooking as she now co-runs catering company Sup & Scran. More details here https://fb.me/e/5b5P6UO3c.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.

 

WH Smith to leave Huddersfield but Boots could yet relocate in town centre