First look: inside the Woolpack, reopened as a real ale pub

After its time as a live music venue – and a brief closure for a refit – The Woolpack reopened on Friday (October 3) as a beer and conversation pub.

“It’s no longer a music venue. It’s back to being a traditional real ale pub,” said landlord Steve Bradley.

“We’re selling only Yorkshire brewed beers.”

Why? “There’s so much choice. And it’s good for the environment – the carbon footprint,” said Steve.

“And I’m a Yorkshireman.”

There are eight handpumps. As the pub opened, six of these were given over to beer and two to cider.

Previously the pub stocked Timothy Taylor’s full range. Now a single pump will have the Keighley brewery’s beers on rotation – beginning with Boltmaker, named the Champion Beer Of Britain at this year’s Great British Beer Festival.

Other breweries represented on the opening night were Revolutions, Acorn, Little Brew, Brown Cow and Slightly Foxed.

Prices for a pint will start at £2.80 for a session beer. “We’re not selling any Carling, Fosters – cooking lager type stuff,” said Steve, who was previously in charge at the Fulford Arms.

The lager choices are Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel.

Is it a food venue? No, says Steve – there isn’t a kitchen. Food consists of “a bag of crisps and some nuts. You might get a butty every now and then.”

‘A place to meet friends’

Regulars won’t notice too great a change inside. “The furniture’s back, basically.

“When it was a live music venue it was pretty much stripped back to the room itself.

“The pub’s had a little bit of a spruce up but nothing major. It’s still recognisable as it was, a traditional old pub.”

Although its days as a rocking gigs are over there will be occasional live music – “more selective and probably more acoustic,” Steve says.

“It’s a place to meet your friends, have a good beer. And it’s still three pints for a tenner which is a wish that doesn’t happen a lot these days.”

He feels he already has a lot of support for the new venture.

“A lot of my friends and old Fulford Arms customers have said they will come in to support us and hopefully will continue to do so.”