In early 2024, York-based brewery Brew York ventured over into the West Riding and took on Otley’s historic Horse & Farrier on Bridge Street, adding it to their growing portfolio of pubs.

While the bones of the building remain largely untouched, Brew York has breathed new life into the place — installing a rotating line-up of their own cask and keg beers, stocking the fridges with colourful cans, and opening up three smart guest rooms upstairs for overnight stays.

The function room, once a quiet afterthought, now plays host to regular folk sessions and open-mic nights that pull in a loyal local crowd. And since October 2025, the pub’s been adding an extra twist with Asian-inspired street food via the Brew + Bao concept that pairs perfectly with the brewery’s punchy beers.

It’s been quite a transformation for the former 19th-century blacksmiths turned pub, known as The Three Horse Shoes until its 2010 refurb and rebrand. Once a fairly traditional local, the Horse & Farrier now strikes a balance between old and new — all the warmth and character of a proper Yorkshire pub, with just enough edge to attract the craft beer crowd.

Visitors find a buzzy, easy-going atmosphere, friendly staff who know their hops from their malts, and a sense that the place is genuinely part of the community rather than just a brewery outpost. And while Brew York’s home base is a good 30 miles away, the Otley spirit runs strong thanks to local music man Paul Briscoe, whose regular Open Mic nights and Folk at the Farrier sessions keep the place humming with home-grown talent and touring acts from across the UK folk scene.