A PICKERING pub is making an historical return to brewing in the town.

The Black Swan, in Birdgate, has established the Great British Breworks in the pub's old wash house.

Tristan Hall is behind the venture, having been instrumental in the establishment of an artisan brewery, The Bosphorus Brewing Company, in Istanbul, alongside his parents, Phil and Jill, who now run the Black Swan.

Tristan said: "During the late 1800s Pickering boasted two breweries, Costa Brewery and one owned by George & Seth Coverdale in Potter Hill.

"The demise of these breweries is not recorded, but most likely they were forced to retreat from the business as each had only one of the 19 pubs, beer houses or vaults in the town, many of which were either closed or taken over by John Smiths.

"With the big breweries came the departure of variety and provenance. Traditional breweries employed techniques and ingredients that ensured the beer they produced had substantial benefits over mass produced products. However, market dominance and large marketing budgets ensured the allegiance of a new tranche of consumers."

Tristan said that in Istanbul he learned to brew heritage beers, many to recipes of early beer drinking civilisations in eastern Anatolia.

"I am bringing this interest to bear on North Yorkshire where I will continue to brew a range of beers inspired by the international range I was involved in producing in Turkey," he said.

"However, in Pickering, this will embrace the use of traditional recipes and local seasonal ingredients. Working with locals and those interested in artisanal brewing, I hope to produce beers that not only capture the imagination of local residents, but which introduce a new generation to the quality, social and cultural importance of a locally produced beer."