We don’t pick beers off a spreadsheet.
We pick them off reputation, flavour, and trust.
At the Old Cross Tavern, we’ve got eight handpulls that rotate more than most pub playlists — but there’s nothing random about what goes on the bar. Every beer we choose earns its place through quality, consistency, and character.
🍺 Our One Constant
While most of our lines change weekly, one beer never leaves the bar: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.
It was the previous owner’s favourite pint, and it’s become part of who we are.
Landlord takes pride of place on the front pump — a proper Yorkshire pale ale that rewards good cellar work and punishes bad. It’s the ultimate benchmark for conditioning, clarity, and consistency.
We’re proud to be part of Timothy Taylor’s Champion Club, recognised for keeping Landlord in top form and serving it exactly as the brewery intended — cool, bright, and perfectly conditioned.
🔄 The Rotation Game
Our other guest ales change regularly — not because we’re chasing trends, but because cask ale lives and moves. Once a barrel’s gone, it’s gone, and that makes space for something new.
We plan our board to balance styles — a couple of easy session bitters, something pale and hoppy, something darker for depth, and usually a strong one for the adventurous. You’ll always find variety, but never gimmicks.
🤝 Supporting Brewers We Believe In
We work with breweries that share our values — small independents and regionals who care about their beer as much as we do about how it’s kept. You’ll see plenty of local names, plus a few from further afield if they’re worth the trip.
Every so often, we’ll take a punt on a new or unknown brewery — because that’s how you find the hidden gems. Most of the time, those new beers win over our regulars straight away. Once in a while, one doesn’t quite land — and we know it, because the locals tell us with their glasses.
That kind of honest feedback keeps our standards sharp and our pumps interesting. We don’t mind a miss if it helps us find the next great brewery we’ve never heard of before.
👂 Listening to the Regulars
A good pub listens.
We pay attention to what people actually drink, not what’s trending on TikTok. When a beer gets talked about across the bar, it tends to come back.
The board’s shaped by conversation as much as delivery schedules — if you’ve asked for something and it fits our standards, we’ll hunt it down.
🚫 Why We’d Rather Say No Than Serve Poorly
Sometimes a supplier offers us something that looks good on paper — big name, fancy label, easy sell. But if the beer’s not fresh, the casks look tired, or we’ve had a bad batch before, we’ll pass.
We’d rather pour one fewer beer than compromise the lineup. You’ll never see something on our pumps just because it was “cheap this week.”
🏅 The End Goal: A Perfect Pint, Every Time
Every choice behind the bar leads to one moment — when you lift the glass, take a sip, and nod to yourself. That’s what we’re chasing.
We might rotate hundreds of guest ales a year, but the standard never changes:
fresh, flavourful, and properly kept.
💬 Got a brewery you think we should try? Drop a name next time you’re in — we’re always listening.
