A well-known York pub reopened under new management this week – and the newly independent venue has big plans.
The Last Drop Inn on Colliergate, York has experienced a turbulent last six months. It shut abruptly back in June when the Breal Group bought owners the Black Sheep Brewery and staff expressed their shock at being escorted off the premises.
It was then taken over by new independent owner Paul Kemp, who received the keys at the end of October.
The newly refurbished Last Drop Inn softy relaunched this week and reopened its doors, before it’s grand official opening in January.
YorkMix spoke to general manager Emily Tuscarny to find out more.
“It’s been a journey and it’s not necessarily been the easiest,” explained Emily. “We wanted to do it properly, no matter how much that cost.”
The building had been stripped of fixtures and fittings after it fell into administration. There was no furniture or dispense points and the cellar was empty.
“Some problems came up when we were trying to sort things – there was a lot of issues with the electrics that took a while to fix,” Emily said. “We had to self-install the entire dispense system and the cellar’s all been self-installed by us.”
Due to the rewiring of the building, sourcing the furniture, redoing the heating, installing a new sound system, WiFi, and till system, the investment into the pub is “well into five figures”.
It has been quite the community effort too. All the furniture inside has been refurbished, including pew seating which was repurposed from a York church.
Emily says: “We wanted to source everything sustainably and ethically – nothing we have bought is brand new. Everything has been locally sourced.”
It will also feature an art mural on the wall by York-based illustrator Ric Liptrot.
Even though the pub is now completely independently owned, it’s keeping its name of The Last Drop Inn. That was the name given to it when it became the York Brewery’s first pub, opened in 2000, and “it has such a hold on the community. If we changed it we’re removing some of its identity.”
Quickly full
The soft launch of the new pub took place on Wednesday (13 December) evening, and it was a big success.
“We delayed the opening to make sure everything was perfect for when we did open so that nothing would go wrong – which it hasn’t,” Emily said.
“We didn’t announce anything on social media, we didn’t tell anyone. We wanted to unlock the door and just see what happened. Within ten minutes of unlocking the door the pub was full.
“Last night (Thursday) was even busier. People love the pub, they’re happy to see it open, they’re coming back and they’re telling their friends.”
“A lot of people are really happy to see that we’re back open again,” added Oscar Bennewith, supervisor at the Last Drop.
“We had a large portion of the regulars come back in and show their faces and introduce themselves, and to say they’re ecstatic that we’re open.”
The Last Drop Inn will have a particular focus on craft beers.
“The plan is to keep it very seasonal,” said Emily. “We’re trying to keep everything super local but then we’re going to build relationships with breweries nationwide so that we can have highlights on different breweries.
“There’s a great brewery down in Bristol called Lost and Grounded and we’re going to be the only and first pub in York to have any of their beer on sale.”
The pub is keen to highlight the craft beer industry around the country, and to highlight microbreweries around York. The price range for a pint starts from £4.25.
This week, the Last Drop has been operating on its soft launch hours (3-10pm), but from Monday (18 December) it will be open seven days a week, 11am to 11pm. It is closed this Sunday to give the staff a break.
The Last Drop Inn aim to have their proper launch in the first half of January, which will feature their full range of beers, spirits and wines.
There is plans to serve food in the “not too far future” but that will take “another set of refurbishments because the kitchen is not ready for any form of food service right now.”
Also coming in the new year is a return to live music, and plans for a weekly quiz and televisions for showing special sport events.
The long-term plan is to expand up the next two floors – which are currently “dead space” – and use the two spaces as function rooms for a variety of events from corporate events to pottery painting, and to have a secondary bar installed for events like ‘meet the brewer’ and tap takeovers.
The new Last Drop Inn has created eight jobs, with plans for expansion as and when needed.
Emily added: “We want to take the amazing pub that the previous owners had created and cemented within the community and elevate it a little bit more, and make it our own and make it a little bit more special.”
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