Ukulele band open their own pub

The Everly Pregnant Brothers, a six-piece ukulele group, signed a five year agreement last week (30 July) to lease The Shakespeare at Heeley from Punch Taverns.

“The idea was sparked over a pint after we’d come out of rehearsals,” band member Richard Bailey told the PMA. “It’s taken two years to find the right venue and negotiate the best deal.”

The band members including Pete McKee, his son Charley McKee, Klive Humberstone, David Williamson and Shaun Doane used gig proceeds to invest in the pub, which is undergoing a £150,000 refurbishment.

“The builders are on site now,” Bailey said. “There’s a big investment from Punch. The pub had fallen into a pretty bad state - there’ll be full repairs from the roof to the cellar. We’ve been working with the designers to put our mark on it and make it the great boozer it once was.”

The tenants intend to showcase real ales and local beers from the south Yorkshire region when the venue opens at the end of August.

Punch Taverns Partnership development manager Andy Longley said:  “We are really happy to be working with the guys from the Everley Pregnant Brothers and looking forward to completing another refurbishment as part of our £45 million programme of national investment in our pubs.”