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Vale Inn

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Vale Inn

The Vale inn is now CLOSED!

Statement from the owners of Bollington Brewing Co., Lee & Kirsten Wainwright:
“It is with genuine sadness that we announce the closure of The Vale Inn.

The Vale was where it all began, and so it holds a special place in our hearts. As well as being the place to sample the very first cask of Bollington Best, it was also where we started life as a married couple all those years ago. We have worked tirelessly over nearly 21 years at the Vale, and organised and hosted many events, beer festivals, and Scibars – having lots of fun along the way. As I’m sure you will understand, this has been a difficult decision to make.

We are incredibly proud of our journey, our team of staff and partners, and so we say thank you to the Vale and acknowledge the pivotal part it has played in our lives and our business.

Our story in Bollington is not over – but it is time for the next chapter. We don’t yet know what the future holds for the Vale, but in the meantime, our presence in Bollington will continue through the Bollington Festival, Beer Festivals and the Enduro and through other events supporting local charities, good causes, and sponsorship of local teams.

Thank you to our staff, the community of local businesses, charities and organisations that we work alongside, and to you all for your support and encouragement over the last twenty one years.

We will see you all soon,

Lee & Kirsten”

Address:	29-31 Adlington Road, Bollington, Macclesfield, SK10 5JT
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History of the Vale under the ownership of Bollington Brewing Co.

Bollington Best won the Bronze Medal in Best Bitter contest at CAMRA’s 2011 Great British Beer Festival. It was the third year on the run their beer caught the attention of a judging panel and the competition just kept coming from further afield. Bollington Best won Champion Beer of Cheshire in September 2009 and Silver in the ‘Best Bitter’ category at the SIBA North West region in 2010, but this time it was a group of expert beer judges, brewers, broadcasters and writers who picked the beer out from its national competitors.

Their own brews! As one of only three Free Houses left in Bollington [in 2009] it was not surprising to find six hand pumps serving a wide selection of real ales from far and wide, including their own brewed ales (see below) and regular guests from Storm Brewing, Weetwood, Acorn Brewery’s Barnsley Bitter, Manchester Bitter from Marble Brewery, and many more. Lagers included Amstel and Heineken as well as the LocAle Moravka and Moravka Cold from Taddington Brewery. Cider was Weston’s Stowford Press. A wide selection of wines and spirits completed the offering.

From 25th July 2008 they served their own brewed beer – the first to be brewed in Bollington for more than 80 years! The first brew was called just that, First Brew, and what a brew it was! It is now called Bollington Best and at 4.2% it is a superb session beer, medium in colour, slightly hoppy giving a perfect balance between bitterness and flavour. The beer one likes is a very personal thing but for me this is the perfect pint! It seems I’m not alone, Bollington Best won Champion Cheshire Beer 2009, White Nancy won Silver at SIBA in Sheffield in 2010, and then the Bronze Medal with Bollington Best at the national CAMRA contest!! (see above).

Their second offering was called Bollington Nights, at 3.9%, a porter that has rapidly established itself as a very popular ale. Traditional dark ale with a light smooth flavour and aroma. And [until the brewery moved to Macclesfield in 2023] the Vale Inn served as the brewery tap! Bollington Nights won the 2009 Bronze Medal at the Sheffield CAMRA competition.

Over the months Lee brewed up a wide range of glorious beers including Dinner Ale, Ginger Brew, Happy Valley, Oat Mill Stout (5%) (Reserve Champion Cheshire Beer 2009), Ruby Nights, Wheat Nancy, Long Hop [in 2025 the most popular of their brews], Gritstone, Winter Reserve and so many others, so which ones are on the bar when you visit was hard to predict!

A regular though was White Nancy (4.1%) a very pale bitter with a good hoppiness and a light body – simply delicious! This was the 2009 Silver Medal winner at the CAMRA Sheffield competition.

Bottled and boxed ales are available and can be ordered click and collect.

The Vale Inn closed on 27 January 2026. The brewery, now in Brook Mill, Parker Street, Macclesfield, and the other pubs in the group remain open!