Rooster’s Launches Annual Yorkshire Day Charity Beer In Support Of Saint Michael’s Hospice

Harrogate-based Rooster’s Brewing Co. is once again marking Yorkshire Day on August 1^st  with the release of White Rose, its annual charity pale ale brewed to raise money for a local good cause.

A fixture in the brewery’s calendar since 2011, White Rose is a cask-only pale ale that sees 10p from every pint sold donated to a nominated Yorkshire-based charity. Now in its 14^th year, the initiative has raised over £12,000 to date. For 2025, Rooster’s has chosen to support Saint Michael’s Hospice, a local charity based just a short walk from the brewery and its onsite taproom in Hornbeam Park, Harrogate.

Saint Michael’s provides expert, compassionate care for people living with terminal illness and their families across Harrogate and the wider North Yorkshire region. Their work takes place in the hospice itself, in people’s homes, and in local hospitals ensuring that individuals receive the support they need, wherever they are. The charity is close to the hearts of many at Rooster’s, including friends of the brewery such as Rhiannon. Sharing her story of the care Saint Michael’s provided her family, she said: “My dad, Jon, was admitted to Saint Michael's towards the end of his battle with cancer in 2023. We will always remember the kindness and dedication of the staff who cared for him and provided support during this difficult time.”

Michael White, Partnerships Manager at Saint Michael’s Hospice commented: “We are delighted to be chosen as the charity to benefit from sales of the White Rose charity beer, created by our neighbours, Rooster’s. As hospice care across the UK faces significant financial challenges, support like this has never been so important. At Saint Michael’s Hospice, we receive only 25% statutory funding. Therefore, we rely on the generosity of our community to help us make up the remaining 75% that is needed to provide our vital services, free at the point of need. Partnerships like this go such a long way towards helping to raise vital funds, as well as important awareness about our cause.”

Tom Fozard, Rooster’s Operations Director, added: “We’re proud to support Saint Michael’s Hospice with this year’s release of White Rose. The beer has always been about giving something back to the community. It’s purposefully only available on cask too, so the only way to enjoy it is by visiting and supporting your local pub at the same time. Operating in an industry that constantly faces huge challenges; we recognise the need to support those around us and are pleased that White Rose is capable of being able to support such a highly-valued local cause.”

White Rose will be pouring at pubs and bars across Yorkshire and beyond throughout August and is available to Rooster’s trade customers from late-July. Drinkers in Harrogate can also enjoy it fresh from the source at Rooster’s Taproom, just a couple of minutes’ walk from the hospice.

Ends 

For further information, please contact Tom Fozard on tom@roosters.co.uk or 01423 222312 

Rooster’s Brewing Co. www.roosters.co.uk  

Saint Michael ’s Hospice https://saintmichaelshospice.org/  

Notes to Editors 

About Rooster’s Brewing Company 

Rooster’s Brewing Co. has always been an independent, family-run brewery, focussed on creating quality new world pale ales, with an emphasis on flavour and aroma. It was established in 1993 by the pioneering brewer Sean Franklin, who developed a new style of beer that had, up to that point, never been tried in the UK before. At a time when most breweries were taking flavour out, Sean was trying to put more in, using imported flavourful hops from the west coast of America.

His pioneering and innovative approach began to turn heads, with Rooster’s flavour-packed beers standing out in a sea of brown beer - with its flagship pale ale, Yankee, leading the way. The awards began to pour in, with Rooster’s beers winning gold medals at the biggest and most renowned international and national beer awards.

Having won pretty much everything there was to win, in 2011 Sean decided to retire and chose to sell the brewery to Ian Fozard and his sons, Tom and Oliver, in a move that ensured Rooster’s would remain a family-owned brewery.

Ian has had an affinity with beer for over forty years, having been an active member of CAMRA since the 1970s and the founder of Market Town Taverns, which grew into a portfolio of 15 bars and pubs across Yorkshire. 

Oliver, who has been brewing professionally since 2000, became the head brewer at Rooster’s, and Tom, also an active brewer, became the company’s commercial director. Oliver was awarded Brewer of the Year in December 2020 by the British Guild of Beer Writers.

In 2018, it became clear that Rooster’s was rapidly outgrowing its site in Knaresborough and in 2019 the decision was made to invest in a new state-of-the-art brewery and taproom. Finding the right location, that offered Rooster’s the opportunity to become part of the fabric of the local community wasn’t easy, but the team were delighted when the perfect space became available at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate. Over the course of 2019 and the early part of January 2020, the company created a bespoke, state-ofthe-art facility that it now calls home, in a move that saw it return to the town where Rooster’s was first started some twenty-seven years earlier.

For further information, please contact Tom Fozard on tom@roosters.co.uk or 01423 222312 

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