Event: The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales | Location: The Tetley, Leeds | Date: May 2026
About The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales
This was our first time attending The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales and the first year it was hosted at The Tetley. The festival runs from Friday to Sunday, and we had tickets for the Sunday session, which happened to be Alex’s birthday. Tickets include a festival glass, one beer token and a free pint at the after-party (which was at the Victoria and Commercial on the Sunday night).
Additional beer tokens were available to buy for £2.50 per token, which got you a half pint of most ales (or a third of some of the higher ABV beers).
What we drank…
There were some excellent beers from some brilliant breweries, and it wasn’t possible to try them all. We sampled nine ales in total and tried to get a good mix of styles. Here’s a rundown of the beers we tried…
Digley Bitter by Riverhead (Yorkshire): Bitter 4%
We decided to start with the Digley Bitter as it was the overall winner of the festival. It had lovely malty flavours like a teacake.
Brewer’s website: The Riverhead – Ossett Brewery
Collab 1858 by Kirkstall Brewery x Northern Monk x Anthology (Leeds): Pale Ale 5%
This collab was brewed especially for the event and was based on an 1858 recipe for Tetley Ale. It tasted like sweet brioche with hints of citrus - very easy drinking.
Brewer’s website: Kirkstall Brewery
Baltic Bitter by Black Lodge Brewery (Liverpool): Bitter 4.2%
We weren’t familiar with Black Lodge Brewing, but since this beer had a CAMRA award, we decided to give it a try. It was excellent with roasty, chocolatey notes along with some bramble and hedgerow fruit flavours - almost like a porter and a bitter at the same time.
Brewer’s website: Black Lodge Brewing
1912 by Amity (Leeds): Edwardian Stout 6%
An Edwardian Stout just sounded too intriguing not to try, and it was a lovely beer with lots of roasty flavours.
Brewer’s note: Named for the mill that still stands at the heart of Amity, 1912 is a stout brewed from a recipe of its era before craft, before convenience, before anything but craft meant something different. Rich, roasty and dry with a long, bitter finish. Some things don't need improving.
Brewer’s website: Amity Brew Co
Strong Stock Ale by Roosters (Harrogate): Strong Ale 5.3%
This stock ale had a slight marmite aroma with lots of bready, malty flavours and a nice dry finish.
Brewer’s website: Rooster's Brewery
Wild Wild Life (2026) by Roosters (Harrogate): Saison 7%
We love a saison and this one did not disappoint. The brewer told us it had been aged in twice-used Pinot Noir barrels.
Brewer’s note: Barrel-aged for over six months, Wild Wild Life [2026] is a refreshing, yet refined, blended sour saison displaying smooth complexity, delicate herbal aromas, soft oak & a hint of vanilla. The flavour is bright, yet balanced. Subtle spice & citrus mingle with soft stone fruit earthiness, alongside a touch of creaminess that softens the edges of the beer & creates a rounded mouthfeel.
Brewer’s website: Rooster's Brewery
Brown Ale by Anthology (Leeds): Brown Ale 4.6%
This had an almost nutty aroma with flavours of brown bread.
Brewer’s website: Anthology Brewing Company
The Celebration Porter by Anspach & Hobday (London): Porter 4.5%
We absolutely love London Black from Anspach & Hobday, so we were excited to see this porter at the festival, and it didn’t disappoint with its chocolatey flavours and lovely dry finish.
Brewer’s website: Anspach & Hobday
Society For the Encouragement of Virtue by Round Corner Brewing (Melton Mowbray): BA Imperial Stout 10%
We rounded off the festival with this rum barrel-aged imperial stout, which was smooth, creamy and thick, like liquid fudge.
Brewer’s note: This rich imperial stout pours an opaque jet black. Rich and decadent after several months maturing in freshly disgorged Planteray Rum barrels from Barbados, roast malts bring aromas of dried fruits, liquorice, Christmas cake and molasses. The mouthfeel is velvety, with smooth oak and rum notes balanced elegantly by a firm, lingering bitterness
Formed in 1787 Melton Mowbray’s Society for the Encouragement of Virtue punished vice, profanity and immorality. The three ingredients for this dark seductive stout.
Brewer’s website: Round Corner Brewing
Standout beers of the day
We’ve wanted to attend this festival for a few years, but it’s often conflicted with other plans, so we were very excited when we found out that not only could we make this year’s event, but it was also being held at The Tetley, which we love.
There were plenty of great beers on offer (both cask and draft) and a nice variety of styles to choose from.
All the beers we tried were very good, but our standouts were the Collab 1858, the Baltic Bitter, and the Saison (Wild Wild Life).
We’ll be keeping an eye out for next year’s event and will be sure to share the details in our monthly email once it has been announced.
