The Golden Ball is free at last – and it wants everyone to help it celebrate!
York’s first community pub has been tied to a pub company EI Publican Partnerships for six years.
It has fought a long and tough legal battle to break away from its beer tie with the group – and after two years it has won.
That is a big deal, says Beth Maguire, manager of the Golden Ball:
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We can now purchase beer from anywhere, rather than from their restrictive and expensive list of products.
That means we can support more local breweries and businesses, and turn a profit to support ourselves and other community groups, as per the original ethos of the co-operative.
The product price we’ve been paying for the last six years has meant no profits whatsoever, with the pub company taking everything.
Time to celebrate
- Sat Sep 22 @ 12pm-11.30pm
- Golden Ball, Cromwell Road
- More details
There’s only one way to respond to this legal victory – paaarty!
The Golden Ball, on Cromwell Road, Bishophill, is holding an all-day ‘Free of Tie’ bash at the pub on Saturday (September 22).
There’ll be family entertainment, music from local bands like Bad Saloon and morris dancing.
Bluebird Bakery is laying on a buffet – and of course there’ll be a whole variety of great beer to try.
The pub will have six different cask ales from Treboom Brewery, plus special guest beer Dark Masquerade from Half Moon. Beth said:
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We are also excited to introduce Brass Castle lager, creating a truly Yorkshire line up! We can now also offer gluten free and low alcohol beers too, from Wold Top and BrewDog.
This simply wasn’t a possibility before as these products were not listed, and our free of tie means we can buy them direct and better serve the community.
York Central MP Rachael Maskell is the special guest, as she has campaigned for the pub and “brought up our little street corner pub in Parliament on a number of occasions”.
The Golden Ball became York’s first community pub after it was taken over by a cooperative of local people in 2012. It was listed by the council as the city’s first Asset of Community Value a year later.
And now it is starting a new era. So go along on Saturday and help celebrate!