PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Revs bar, Hydes pub and Timothy Taylor's pubs undergo revamps, J&S takes on fifth Star venue

24-May-2022 - Last updated on 25-May-2022 at 10:13 GMT

Time for change: Pubcos look forward to the summer with major makeovers in the works

Plenty of pubs are set for six-figure glow-ups just in time for summer, while J&S takes on its fifth Star venue and Little Door & Co plans to open a Soho site.

Lord Rodney pub to change name and receive £300k investment

Timothy Taylor’s will be closing the Lord Rodney in Keighley, west Yorkshire, from Monday 6 to redevelop it ahead of its reopening in late July in time for Yorkshire Day on 1 August 2022.

The pub will undergo a £300,000 revamp which will encompass new signage alongside a repainting of the pub’s exterior and a total refresh inside, featuring a new bar, toilets, branding and decoration, with a refurbished heating outside seating area.

On reopening, the outlet will be called Taylor’s on the Green to reflect its position in the town and its close relationship to the Keighley-based brewery and its 164-year history in Keighley.

Skipton-based Bowman Riley are providing interior design and RN Wooler builders in Keighley are working with Taylor’s to deliver the project.

Timothy Taylors estate operations director Paul Turner said the company was “really excited” to be investing in the prominent outlet in the town centre and looked forward to welcome guests to Taylor’s on the Green.

The brewery will be managing the outlet directly and have already begun the recruitment process for a manager ahead of other team members.

“We believe it will be a significant contribution to the already improving leisure offer in the town. The good train links and presence of Keighley & Worth Valley Railway will make it easy for Timothy Taylor’s fans to visit,” Turner added.

OG Revolution bar to undergo £144k makeover

Revolution Oxford Road in Manchester is undergoing a dramatic £144,000 makeover, which will include a graffiti mural, neon signage and special effects lighting.

The venue, which opened in 1996 and is the original Revolution bar, will shut its doors on 22 May for a week to undergo the transformation.

The new design will build upon the current exposed brick look with the addition of some neon signs and artwork. There will also be nods to the company’s reputation for vodka with a vodka display spanning the brand’s history.

The street view of the venue will showcase a graffiti mural, a new colour scheme and special effect lighting, and inside the venue you will be greeted with bold colours and neon signs.

Furthermore, the copper tones and accent features of the main bar pay homage to the venue’s roots, and the Vodka Loft upstairs will be overhauled with a fresh new vibe.

Revolution general manager Jack People said: “I can’t wait to get this refurbishment finished so people of Manchester can see what we’re all about here at Oxford Road.

“We feel very lucky to work in an environment where our team is so tight-knit and cohesive, and it will be amazing when the look and feel of the venue reflect this even more.’’

From the graffiti mural to the special effects lighting and bold neon signs, he believed the visuals looked incredible and helped create the kind of electric atmosphere customers expected from the brand

Little Door & Co to launch Soho site

Little Door & Co is set to open its first central London venture the Little Scarlet Door on Soho’s Greek Street come June.

The company’s founders and directors Kamran Dehdashti and Jamie Hazeel opened initial pilot pop-up the Little Yellow Door in Notting Hill, central London, in 2014, which then became permanent. Since this, they have opened sites the Little Blue Door in Fulham, south London and the Little Orange Door in Clapham, south London.

J&S takes on 5^th Star site

North Yorkshire multiple operator J&S Pub Company has taken on its fifth Star Pubs & Bars pub, Mist in Scarborough, north Yorkshire, bringing its pub estate to seven.

It has just completed a £205,000 joint refurbishment with Star, transforming the wet-led high street pub into a traditional Irish pub named McGinty’s. This has created 10 new jobs.

The J&S Pub Company portfolio consists of different types of venues ranging from a sports bar, a pub with an indoor and outdoor kids play area and a village local and traditional Irish bar. Within these, five are leased and two freehold.

Their Star pubs include the Golden Lion in Whitby; the Commercial and the Ramshill Hotel, both in Scarborough; and the Nag’s Head in Scalby, as well as non-Star pubs the New Lancaster and the Plough Inn & Fun Farm, also in Scarborough.

Hydes reopens Cheshire pub following £400k investment

Manchester-based Hydes Brewery has relaunched one of the oldest pubs in its estate, the Jolly Thresher in Lymm, Cheshire, following an extensive £400,000 refurbishment.

The transformation of the premium pub, part of the Hydes estate for 111 years, includes structural reconfiguration of storage facilities and relocation of toilets to create more open space in the dining area.

A full interior modernisation including new furniture and fixtures has been undertaken at the pub which is sympathetic to its existing features. What’s more, outside, a complete refresh of the external signage enhances visibility and improvements has been made to the decking area, offering an improved al fresco dining experience.

Hydes Brewery managing director Adam Mayers said: “The Jolly Thresher is one of our older establishments having been in the Hydes estate since 1911. It’s great to see it open again with an inviting and cosy brand new look and feel, just in time for summer.”

He believed the outside dining offering was particularly pleasant and welcoming with the gardens, formerly a bowling green, offering the “perfect spot” for a memorable family meal.

Simon Bonwick sells the Crown to Dominic Chapman

Chef Simon Bonwick and his family have sold their Michelin-starred Berkshire pub-restaurant the Crown to the Beehive chef Dominic Chapman.

Late last year, Bonwick announced he had put the highly rated Burchetts Green pub – which is currently ranked 68 on Restaurant by BigHospitality’s list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK – on the market ahead of the launch of a larger ‘more ambitious’ restaurant.

“Moving on from the Crown was a natural conclusion for us as we felt we had told a story and given our all to the very idea of the Crown,” Bonwick said. “Not one hour in our time there had been easy, but so very rewarding for us all.”

He continued: “Every ounce of business was fought and grafted for so, when selling up, it had to be to the right person. It was imperative they had the credentials to run with the ball and relax into the Crown even more comfortably than we had.”

Chapman’s CV includes Berkshire’s the Fat Duck and the Hinds Head as well as London’s Kensington Place, where he cooked under Rowley Leigh.