New life has been breathed into one of Huddersfield’s best-known pubs, the iconic Sair Inn at Linthwaite five months after the death of its founder.

Ron Crabtree bought the Sair Inn, a 19th century brewpub, in 1982 and quickly began turning it into a local legend among Huddersfield’s real ale drinkers.

But following his death in October last year great strides have been made in developing the hostelry thanks to the support of his daughter Helen and son Jim who live in Bingley.

Sair manager Bobby Oxby and brewer Ian Bagshaw at the Sair inn, Linthwaite

Brewer Ian Bagshaw has been busy looking back through Ron’s catalogue of ale recipes and the bar now boasts 10 top beers including three dark ones, Leadboiler, Janet Street Porter, English Guineas, three bitters, Linfit, Special and Old Eli as well as four pale ales.

The pub is one of very few traditional alehouses in the Huddersfield area.

It boasts proper snugs, some of them only able to fit in a handful of drinkers, real fires, old-fashioned wooden tables, stone floors and some of the best beer in the area.

Only perhaps The Slubbers in Bradford Road can come close to equalling it in terms of history and tradition.

Ian said: “All the beers are based on Ron’s original recipes.

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“The pub has been given a very thorough clean and we are all very enthusiastic about its future.”

Manager Bobby Oxby said: “Helen and Jim have been very, supportive of Ian and myself and all the good things that Ron was responsible for have been retained.

“The wonderful thing we have noticed is that we are attracting a lot of people who used to come in the past as well as new people.”

And Ian and Bobby have been busy clearing out upstairs with plans to take down stud walls, a large plastering exercise and rewiring.

After that is finished they say they will sit down with Helen and Jim and plot the way forward.

Bobby said: “There’s all sorts of things that the rooms could be used for from providing accommodation for people wanting to stay at the pub and explore the Colne Valley to using them for local groups to meet.”

As for Helen and Jim’s support, Ian added: “They have bent over backwards to help us. The biggest thing has been getting all the 10 beers back on.

“And we are looking at extending the bar slightly, there’s room to get another three pumps on. The pub has huge potential and it’s a very exciting time to be involved in it at such a juncture.”