A BRADFORD bar owner says it feels fantastic to be one of 30 district sites included in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2021, as the group warns of the impact Covid-19 is having on the industry.

The Idle Draper, The Green, has been named in the pub group's annual guide, which celebrates the best of best real ale venues across the country.

While breweries and pubs in Yorkshire appear to have weathered the Covid storm so far, campaigners fear that ongoing trading restrictions and the threat of localised lockdowns could begin to bite in 2021 – with the trend reversing over the next six months.

The larger pub owning businesses are not geared to selling beers from small independent breweries and their supply agreements with large, national breweries take priority over any such for small local breweries.

The Good Beer Guide 2021 contains 406 pubs from across Yorkshire of which 95 are new entries in 2021.

The Bradford city sites included are Corn Dolly; Exchange Craft Beer House; Fighting Cock; Old Bank; Record Café; Jacobs Beer House. Other pubs listed in the district include in Shipley, Saltaire and Silsden.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Jim Emmett has run The Idle Draper for the last four years Jim Emmett has run The Idle Draper for the last four years

Jim Emmett, owner of the Idle Draper, said: "It's just fantastic. It's a bit overshadowed by the fact that we can't get as many people in to enjoy it.

It's great for us to be included in the guide. To get the support of people is great. It's ace. It's a big, big thing

"I am a joiner and I have had to go back to backing with my tools during lockdown.

"The bar is my baby, I have put so much effort into it.

"We're a small bar. We're more than just a bar. It's a bit like Cheers, the amount of people I know from there is great.

"It's not just about money. It takes so much work to run a bar."

Kevin Keaveny, regional director for Yorkshire, said: “On behalf of the Yorkshire Region of CAMRA, would like to thank the publicans and breweries who have continued to work so hard to ensure a safe environment is available so that we can enjoy beers and ciders while meeting friends and family.

Many have shown real innovation to serve the public with takeout and delivery services this year, despite ever changing rules

“We look forward to continuing to support our local pubs and breweries in the year to come.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Nationally, the 2021 Guide has found the total number of independent UK breweries has dipped from 1,823 in 2019 to 1,816 in 2020 - the first time CAMRA’s guide has recorded a decline in numbers since the explosion in UK breweries started in 2008.

The Good Beer Guide is the Campaign for Real Ale’s premier publication, featuring the very best pubs in which to find a great pint across the UK.

Despite being hampered by a national lockdown and ongoing restrictions, thousands of independent volunteers have worked together to compile this year’s entries, helping to identify significant trends and themes locally and nationally.   The Good Beer Guide 2021 is now available from the CAMRA shop at shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2021