Welcome to this latest blog, in which I celebrate the return of a couple of historic city pubs under new ownership and direction, and lament the apparent passing of one of Leeds' best-known and long-established pubs....
It was another weekend where trains that would normally be going through Huddersfield from west of the Pennines were being re-routed via the Calder Valley, this time due to ongoing repairs to the Standedge Tunnel following a recent fire. This meant there were up to 5 trains an hour in either direction stopping at Brighouse and most of the services going east were only stopping at Dewsbury on the way to Leeds meaning journey times were 20 minutes or less. So with that in mind I decided to head over there to visit a couple of former Tetley pubs that have reopened after some serious refurbishment.
The weather was quite mild for the first day of February, the clouds had lifted, and a weak sun was doing its best to consign the gloom of January to a distant memory. The birds were certainly sounding happier, tweeting away as I waited for the train. So far, so good. The train was a few minutes late arriving at Brighouse, but was then making good time on the journey when it abruptly stopped between Mirfield and Dewsbury. A few minutes passed and then the reason was announced over the tannoy. It seemed that the milder weather had tempted a swan to wander from the series of flooded gravel pits between the River Calder and the railway, and it had set up camp on the railway, and wasn't for budging! So we had to wait for help to arrive to move it, and it was 40 minutes before another announcement that told as the swan had been safely recovered, and we were free to go on our way. So much for a quick journey to Leeds!
We duly arrived in Leeds, and with not wanting to be too late heading back, I had no time to waste if I was to do my targeted pubs and the odd extra. I headed off up Park Row, crossed over the Headrow by the Light, and then turned left down Great George Street. I decided to call in the Northern Market, the name these days for what was the Assembly Underground when Vocation had a bar here amongst several indie food outlets. The bar concession these days is run by local boys Northern Monk, and is a much more pleasant spot for a beer than it was in its previous incarnation. There is a relaxed atmosphere, and whilst there is no cask beer available, my half of Faith was very welcome, after my avian-induced delay.
The next place was only a short walk away along Great George Street. This was one of the reasons I'd wanted to visit Leeds, to check out the newly-refurbished Victoria & Commercial which had re-opened just before Christmas in a joint venture between Kirkstall Brewery and the people behind another classic pub in the city, Whitelocks. The pub first opened in 1865 when it was known as the Victoria Family & Commercial Hotel, the name of which is still displayed on the exterior as can be seen in the photo above, along with the more prosaic Victoria Hotel. It was built with a view to serving visitors to the nearby law courts and town hall, behind which it stands. It was acquired by Tetleys in 1901, and with its attractive Grade II-listed interior became an upmarket place to go for a drink and something to eat.
Sadly it fell into decline. The Tetleys brewery was closed by Danish owners Carlsberg, and the Vic drifted on under changed ownership until it closed in 2020, a forlorn shadow of its former self. Cut to 2024, and it was announced that a joint partnership between Kirkstall and Whitelocks had acquired the pub, and after a refurbishment, the Vic would re-open. Kirkstall have, of course, form in this area; they restored other classic Leeds pubs which had fallen on hard times, namely the Bridge Inn at Kirkstall and the Cardigan Arms on Kirkstall Road, and turned the former Tetley brewery offices and later art gallery into a shrine to the brewing history of Leeds. Whitelocks, meanwhile, and owners Five Points likewise know plenty about classic pub interiors.
Unlike some Leeds pubs, I was never a frequent visitor here when I lived in the city and I could only vaguely remember a smartish pub with ok beer. So in many ways this was like visiting a brand new pub. I walked into a smart entrance lobby with much dark wood and breweriana on the walls as you would expect with Kirkstall involved. Off to the left and straight ahead are rooms named Bridget's Bar and Albert's Bar, whilst the main bar is off to the right. And very spectacular it is too, with an impressive wooden bar back, mirrors, glass shelves and sympathetic lighting. The ceiling is reminiscent of the Crown Posada in Newcastle. Opposite the bar are a number of booths for more private drinking. I have to say the atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. On the bar there are 8 hand pumps and a number of keg lines, both predominantly from Kirkstall and Five Points. I ordered a pint of Allsops Pale and retreated to one of the side rooms, where with food a big part of the offer here there were plenty of table reservations, although there was no rush for me as they weren't due for about 45 minutes. The beer was pleasant enough (NBSS 3) without being outstanding as befitted the wonderful surroundings, but it is great to see what a great job has been done in restoring a classic Leeds pub that is well worth calling in if you are in the city.
The other pub I had planned to visit was about 15 minutes walk away, so I set off back to Westgate en route to Burley Road, off which it was situated. On the way on the opposite side of the road I passed the now-closed Town Hall Tavern, which has been put up for sale by current owners Timothy Taylor, who seem to be wanting to divest themselves of their tied estate, with pubs like the Hare and Hounds at Old Town, on the hills a steep drive up from Hebden Bridge, the Royal Oak and the Albert, both in Keighley, similarly up for grabs. I can only think Taylors are wanting to move towards a brew-only business model, as this was their only dedicated outlet in Leeds. But who knows? The Town Hall Tavern was previously owned by former brewers and maltsters Musgrave & Sagar who were established way back in 1793, but ceased brewing in 1958. They carried on though as bottlers and maintained a small chain of pubs which had shrunk to three by the time I moved to Leeds in 1979, including the Town Hall Tavern. The other two by the way were the Old Unicorn in Bramley, which like the Town Hall was sold to Taylors in 2006 (and already disposed of), and the Nag's Head on Vicar Lane, which was sold off in 2003 and is now a betting shop. It will be a shame if the Town Hall Tavern goes the same way, but hopefully someone will step in to keep it as a pub.
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| For Sale.... |
I carried on walking as Westgate became Burley Road and whilst I used to be very familiar with this part of the city when I lived in nearby Headingly in the early 80's, a number of high-rise apartment blocks that have been built since then have changed the look of the area as is the case in many parts on the fringes of Leeds city centre. Nonetheless, there was the odd building or corner that I remembered, including a pub that I had been in relatively more recently.
The Fox and Newt is a traditional, solid-looking redbrick pub that is popular with students and has a couple of upstairs rooms for live music and other events. It started life as the Rutland Hotel, taking its name from Rutland Street nearby. Over the years following ownership by the original Kirkstall Brewery, then Duttons of Blackburn, and Whitbread, this long-standing free house has had its own onsite brewery which in its most recent incarnation was known as the Burley Street Brewhouse, although brewing hasn't taken place here for several years now. It was very quiet when I walked in to what is essentially a large open plan room with a raised section to the right. There was a guy and a lass behind the bar, and one punter who was sat watching football on a laptop. Two hand pumps on the bar, and I went for half of the one from Wilde Child, who are based nearby in Armley. It was a 4.1% hazy pale called Excluding Preconception, brewed with Citra and Bru-1 and it was probably the first time it had been served today, as it had a slightly stale aroma and flavour (NBSS 2). I sipped it slowly whilst I enjoyed an eclectic soundtrack which veered from Mountain At My Gates from Foals one minute to Land of a Thousand Dances by Wilson Pickett the next. Even so, it was a somewhat disappointing return here.
The final spot on my visit was another re-born, revitalised pub a short walk away from the Fox & Newt. I resumed my journey on Burley Road and after a couple of minutes, turned left down a series of steep steps beside some flats. At the bottom I came to an incongruously-placed slim flat-iron-shaped wedge of redbrick, set amongst the student flats and a patch of wasteland, surrounded by parked cars, a cloud of steam emanating from a waste pipe. I had arrived at the Highland Laddie, which re-opened last year after being closed for a couple of years. It had originally opened as the Highland in 1925 and whilst I have struggled to find out much about its previous history, it seems at one time it was run by the Peter Walker Brewery from Warrington and was certainly selling Tetleys when I first came across it in the late 1970's. We'd call in for a quick pint after a post-work game of snooker or pool at the nearby Northern Snooker Centre (which is still there) on Kirkstall Road, often staying until chucking out time as we were enjoying the beer and the craic in what was a vibrant community pub with a mix of students and locals. It seems it later drifted into pubco ownership and was the subject of various non-pub related redevelopment plans, all of which came to nothing, but with declining customer numbers exacerbated by lockdown the Highland closed its doors in 2023.
However that is not the end of the story. In 2024 it was announced that the Highland had been acquired by Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton from the successful and much-acclaimed Empire Cafe in the city centre. The intention was to create a pub that would appeal to both those who wanted to call in for a decent pint of real ale after work just like we did all those years ago and those who were searching for a fine dining experience based around traditional pub classics and small plates in what is essentially a traditional pub setting. And so in April 2025 after a sympathetic refurbishment the Highland Laddie - its former nickname now formerly part of the name - reopened its doors. From the start, it attracted interest from curious locals and inquisitive food-lovers, and the positive reviews started to appear, culminating in October when the Highland Laddie was named the Number 1 pub inaugural list of the 100 Best Pubs in Britain, published by the Good Food Guide.
I walked into the small pub and turned left into the bar, which is exclusively for walk-ins (you can book a table in the dining room to the right which is still fairly informally laid out and you are still able to sit in with a pint if there is a free table). It was traditionally-furnished with a deep red upholstered leather banquette flowing around the prow of the narrow room, in front of which were several small tables each lit by soft candlelight. There was a traditional bar with illuminated bar back with 4 handpumps offering Yorkshire ales and an old Guinness font from years gone by. A mirrored sign by the bar advertised Bar Oysters, once a staple of a traditional London working-class boozer, yours for £4 each, or £38 for a dozen. I had arrived just after they had finished serving food for the day and there was that relaxed feel to the place you only get in a pub on a Sunday evening. I got myself a pint of Northern Blonde from Brass Castle and sat at one of the small tables. It was comfortably busy, but not too much. There was a group of three sat across from me with a girl with glasses talking non-stop at her companions, a guy on his own still tucking into a plate of food, a group of three student types in tracky tops and shorts enjoying a pint after five-a-side, and a guy with a friendly dog who just wanted to say hello. A large guy with a big belly was stood chatting to a smaller guy at the end of the bar. One of the friendly staff appeared with a small plate of pork schnitzel cut into 4 small squares, a free gift from the kitchen which was a tasty, soft, and salty morsel with which to enjoy my pint. The beer was a little bit thin (NBSS 3), but much better was the half I got to conclude my visit here. I went for a 5.1% collab between local guys Amity and Good Word Brewing called First Edition which was brewed with Citra and Talus hops and Vienna malt. It was delicious, well-balanced, and full of flavour, and the best beer I'd had all day (NBSS 3.5).
I enjoyed my visit to the Highland Laddie, it was relaxed and not in the least bit stuffy. It felt like a pub and the price of a pint was on a par with what you would expect to pay in Leeds. I am though tempted to go back a try some of the food having now read through several gushing reviews from the food press! I ordered an Uber as although it was only probably a 20 minute or so walk back to the station I did want to get the next train back to Brighouse with time moving on. It had been an interesting and enjoyable if somewhat curtailed afternoon re-visiting a couple of lovingly-restored pubs....
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