THOSE of you who were here last Saturday, and who were paying attention, will know that we are off, this week, to Leeman Road.

It’s not somewhere that has appealed to ale lovers much in the past – but that could all be about to change.

Last Monday saw the re-opening of The Junction following an extensive refurbishment, and judging by first impressions, drinkers are in for a treat.

The place is now known by the rather grander name of The Junction Brewhouse, a nod to the on-site microbrewery due to open later in the year.

I couldn’t help feeling there was something almost American-sounding about the new name, but such internationalism thankfully ends there – the beer, crucially, is resoundingly local and resoundingly fantastic.

There were seven ales on tap when I went in on Monday, and five of those were from Yorkshire: Black Sheep Best, Roosters Yankee, Copper Dragon’s Golden Pippin, and both Landlord and Golden Best from Timothy Taylor’s brewery in Keighley.

Caledonian Deuchars and London Pride were the only outsiders on the blackboard’s mouthwatering list.

I began with a pint of the Golden Best, described by its brewers as the “last of the true Pennine light milds”.

This is found less widely than its stable-mate, Landlord, but is well worth sampling.

It’s a toffee-coloured pint with a smooth malt flavour, and has an ABV of just 3.5 per cent so is easy-drinking. It’s light and fruity and has a little bit of grapefruit to it.

I followed that with a Golden Pippin from Skipton’s Copper Dragon, a little stronger at 3.9 per cent ABV. This is another light-coloured ale, again with a soft fruitiness to it.

Alas, that was all I had time for on my first visit, but I’ll certainly be back because The Junction Brewhouse has all the ingredients to be a brilliant place.

The modern flats along Leeman Road give it a huge untapped market, and it should also hopefully catch some trade from visitors to the nearby National Railway Museum.

This place always used to be a locals’ local but had gone through a tumultuous few years recently, during its focus on live music. It was hugely popular with a niche market, but there was much unrest with local residents and it never looked the most welcoming to passers-by.

In its new incarnation, that looks to have changed. There are two bars, one in the front room and one in the rear, and both are spacious and friendly.

Enterprise Inns, which hasn’t always had the best reputation, has invested in this place and installed locals Pete Pendlebury as tenant and Tom Kitt as manager.

Pete already has a couple of other pubs, over in Blossom Street, while Tim has extensive experience from the Old White Swan and the Maltings, so there’s reason to be optimistic.

THE plans at The Junction Brewhouse for a micro-brewery mean the race is now on for York’s first. Similar moves are underway at The Slip Inn, in Clementhorpe, and it will be interesting to see how and when the plans come to fruition.

The Slip is another pub currently undergoing a conversion into a real ale focus, and I was pleased to find all four ales on tap last week were from Yorkshire. The Ossett Dazzler (4.5 per cent ABV) was the best in my view, with a nice bitter fruit and caramel flavour.

Shorts

*There is a beer festival at the Bay Horse in Marygate, York, this weekend. There are 12 ales, priced £2.30 a pint, and a raffle in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, with the prize being a visit to Copper Dragon Brewery.

*Don’t forget the Malton beer festival, hosted by Suddabys, from 2pm to 11pm next Saturday. There will be 20 ales and also food and music from 7.30pm.