A York pub is to reopen with the aim of re-establishing itself as a real community hub.
Anna Broadhurst, now manager at The Gillygate, will take over at The Heworth Inn, and plans to reopen it later this month.
She is moving from The Gillygate after some neighbours put in a noise complaint about gigs staged there. That effectively ended live music at the pub.
Anna first took a bar job at The Gillygate in August. “However, after a couple of weeks in the job, I was offered the chance to run the place,” she told YorkMix.
The leaseholders knew that she used to manage the York Vaults “and that I could book bands at The Gillygate”.
Anna said: “There were very different responses to the live music at The Gillygate. Many locals, the general public and friends who support live music and the venue absolutely loved it – and the response in that aspect was insane!
“However, a few neighbours ruined that by complaining about live music between 4pm and 6pm on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon – even though our licence stated that live music was allowed inside and outside till 12.30am.”
Her last day at the pub will be next Tuesday, 11 October. “We are leaving because of the neighbours complaining about live music. We took on the lease to do just that, and also the huge beer garden – two great features.
“It is such a shame as The Gillygate needs live music to keep the pub alive.”
She said someone else was planning to take over the lease and keep The Gillygate open.
Now though, Anna is looking forward to taking over The Heworth Inn on Heworth Green – and bringing it back to its best.
“The plan for The Heworth Inn is similar to what the Gillygate was set out to be,” she said.
“There are eight spacious B&B rooms to let out. There will be regular afternoon gigs and also some on an evening, mini festivals in the summer, pub grub, and a great selection of beers, lagers and ciders.
“I will be putting on cover bands, DJs and original bands at the Heworth Inn, so get in touch!”
And the Heworth Inn’s modern name may soon be history. “We are planning to change the name back to The Shoulder of Mutton and hope that it quickly returns to its place as a community hub for locals, York residents and tourists too.”
The pub changed its name in 2018 because new managers thought the old name would deter vegans and vegetarians.
The move will mean another set of new managers at The Gillygate. It was taken over in 2014 by Brian and Suzanne Furey, who invested £500,000 in a complete makeover.
But then the pub collapsed into insolvency in July last year. Brian told the BBC it was after their energy bills nearly tripled.
It reopened in October 2022 under business partners Nigel McLoughlin and Paul Reather, but they left within a few months. The Gillygate closed again before being reopened under the current leaseholders.