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Explore Truro’s Best Beer Venues
The Red Elephant Beer Cellar in Truro, established in 2013 and relocated in 2021, features over 200 bottled beers and 10 rotating drafts, focusing on local Cornish breweries. It won Cornwall’s Best Beer & Wine Specialist 2024 and offers a welcoming atmosphere with various seating options. The Old Ale House, housed in a former draper’s shop, showcases traditional décor and serves 8 cask ales from regional brewers. Lastly, The Tapyard Riverside, formerly Skinner’s Brewery Taproom, blends a semi-industrial aesthetic with a cosy feel and offers a diverse selection of drinks and food. Each venue provides a unique experience for beer lovers.
Truro is Cornwall’s only city, but it feels more like a big town with a lot of charm. It started off as a small riverside spot and grew in the Middle Ages thanks to tin trading. By the 1700s and 1800s, it was doing well, with fancy Georgian houses and a busy market scene. It officially became a city in 1877 when it got its own bishop, and the cathedral was built not long after. These days, Truro’s a mix of old and new – full of history but also great for shopping, coffee stops, and exploring in the middle of Cornwall.
Red Elephant Beer Cellar
A bus ride from Falmouth brings me into Truro. My first of 3 visits here was to the Red Elephant Beer Cellar. This began life in 2013 as a small specialist craft‑beer shop. It relocated to 14 High Cross next to the cathedral in April 2021. Since then, it has flourished, offering over 200 bottled and canned beers alongside 10 rotating draft taps, championing Cornish breweries like Verdant, Pipeline, and Black Flag. It was awarded Cornwall’s Best Beer & Wine Specialist 2024, it also hosts comedy nights and tap takeovers. This cellar bar has become Truro’s go-to for craft beer enthusiasts.
Inside is a great warm, friendly and welcoming environment. Featuring a mix of high tables and stools mixed in with lower county seating. An array of shelves and fridges draw you into exploring the vast range they offer. A fantastic warm welcome from Alan today. In here I went with “DDH Ghost in the Machine” from American Parish Brewing Co. A super tasty Hazy IPA hopped using Citra. Really juicy and full of flavour.
Old Ale House
Next up is a short walk to the Old Ale House. This stunning pub sits in a striking former draper’s shop and originally served as the brewery tap for Skinner’s Brewery, founded locally in 1997 and now run by Cornwall Cider Co. It was built in 1908 as a large draper’s shop, known as the West End Drapery Stores. Designed by architect Alfred J. Cornelius, the building features red and yellow brick, big arched windows, and slate roofs. Its grand corner design and decorative details make it stand out.
Inside a great open plan layout. The pub’s traditional wooden interiors, open fires, and quirky touches—like free monkey nuts—create a nostalgic charm. The floor has sawdust and monkey nut shells which adds a great unique feature.
Drinks wise a fantastic range of 8 cask ales, featuring some small Cornish brewers, a number of ciders and a nice keg range. Great chatting to Vince behind the bar today. In here I went with “Indian Summer” from Bude Coastal Brewery. A great session pale ale, easy drinking and full of flavour.
The Tapyard Riverside
My last call in Truro was to The Tapyard Riverside, formerly known as Skinner’s Brewery Taproom. Skinner’s Brewery was founded in 1997 by Steve Skinner in Truro’s Newham Industrial Estate, launching with award-winning ales such as Cornish Knocker and Betty Stoggs. Over the years it grew to include an onsite shop, a tasting room and a riverside Tap Yard Bar, plus its Old Ale House pub in Truro. Devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it launched a successful crowdfunding campaign in early 2021 to expand its taproom. However, facing heavy debts, it entered administration in October 2022 after 25 years. In March 2023, Goodh Brewing Company. acquired the brand and physical brewery, relaunched core beers (Betty Stogs, Lushingtons, Cornish Knocker), and reopened the Truro tap bar with a summer 2024 relaunch.
Inside is a warm, semi-industrial haven blending brewery vibes with cosy charm. Exposed steel beams and wood‑clad walls frame communal benches, intimate corners, and even a children’s zone, all softened by planters and gentle lighting. The large tasting room offers clear views into the brewing kit. A fantastic large outdoor beer garden offers lots of space and food offerings including buttermilk, chicken wings, chicken and vegan burgers, cauliflower blooms, nachos, fries, salads and a range of sides.
On the bar a great line up of 8 cask ales, 20 keg lines and lots of choices of cans and bottles in the fridge. I went with “A Pint of Two Halves” from Skinners Brewery. A delicious light, crisp and citrus pale ale, very easy drinking.
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