A pub in Meanwood famed for its Sunday roasts and small plates has been crowned the Pub of the Year at The Great British Pub Awards 2021, with judges noting how it supported its community during the pandemic.
Coming out top in the Stonegate Group Pub Partners’ Pub of the Year category, the Myrtle Tavern was acknowledged as having become a hub for charity events and community initiatives since business partners Scott Westlake and Rob Vallance took over its management in 2011.
Image: The Myrtle Tavern
During the pandemic and successive lockdowns, the pub has stepped up for its regulars and locals: offering a befriending service to those who were finding lockdown lonely and hosting live quizzes to bring the community together.
The team at The Myrtle also helped those in need by dropping off parcels and even delivered Sunday lunches to some of their customer's doorsteps.
This, in turn, meant that the community gave back in kind too - donating to fundraising efforts that were set up to help the pub survive as lockdown continued for the best part of a year and government support for small business proved to be minimal.
Image: The Myrtle Tavern
Despite having been closed for most of 2020, the team managed to expand - finding, like many hospitality businesses, that the new covid restrictions required greater manpower.
Earlier this year, the pub even transformed its outdoor space into a "secret garden" with a big screen for films and sports screenings - making it even more popular and leading to thousands of bookings flooding in.
Image: The Myrtle Tavern
The co-owners found out they'd taken home the gong via a live-stream hosted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, and were absolutely thrilled with the result.
Scott said, "It has been a challenging time for the hospitality industry, and for us here at the Myrtle. We have faced many obstacles, but it’s taught us just how important a pub can be for the local community.
"We are honoured to have won and I would like to dedicate this award to my team and our loyal customers for all their support. I look forward to what is to come for the Myrtle Tavern this year and beyond.”
Image: The Myrtle Tavern
Sharing the news on social media, the team dedicated the award to on of their first customers, John Jordan, and thanked their whole 'Myrtle family' for their support:
"Over 3500 pubs in our category, down to 6 finalists and last night we were announced as the winner of Stonegate pub or the year.
"Overwhelming to say the least and we were shocked, Thank you to our Myrtle family and our customers for all your support.
"Dedicating this award to our friend and one of our first customers when we moved in 10 years ago, John Jordan who we still sadly miss. He would have loved to talk about this and wind us up."
To find out more about the pub visit its website here. Note that the kitchen is currently closed for refurbishment until 6 October 2021.
Feature image - The Myrtle Tavern
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Number 10 North is officially ‘open for business’ and here’s why it’s so important for Yorkshire
Number 10 North has officially 'opened for business' this week, and Andy Burnham has now explained his key reasons for launching it.
You may remember that earlier last month, Andy Burnham revealed he had intentions to create a Number 10 North if he was to become Prime Minister, with the new base expected to be a 'dominant driver of the UK's economy' once it was officially up and running... and now, fast forward to today, Number 10 North is officially 'open for business'.
Operating from Heron House in Manchester city centre, as previously reported on by The Manc, Number 10 North will be the Government’s new 'situation room for growth'.
It also brings the 'levers' of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time ever.
With the Prime Minister expected to work from Number 10 North each week, so that decisions about the country’s economic future will no longer exclusively be made in Westminster, and with other ministers also working from there on a regular basis, the Government says the move underlines its determination to 'do things differently'.
Number 10 North has officially 'opened for business' / Credit: gov.uk (via Wikimedia Commons)
Now that Number 10 North has officially opened, Andy Burnham has explained why this move is so important for Yorkshire and the north as a whole.
"For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve," explained Andy Burnham.
"Number 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country. It will be the situation room for making Britain better, the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around.
"The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good."
Featured Image - The Manc Group
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Pints of Knowledge, Callum Campbell’s fastest-growing event, is coming to Leeds city centre this summer
Clementine Hall
The pub night that's packing out venues across the UK is coming to Leeds.
Let us introduce you to Pints of Knowledge, a phenomenon founded by Callum Campbell that has built a social media following of more than 160,000 people.
This is different to your average night out, it's a chance to meet new people and spark interesting conversation all in the relaxing surroundings of a pub.
The event has attracted thousands to its unique mix of expert talks, conversation and community in pubs across the UK.
Image: Supplied
And if you're looking to get in on the action then you're in luck, because Pints of Knowledge is arriving at The Wardrobe on Sunday 9 August.
So, what can you expect? From landmark legal history and the hidden pressures behind big systems to the evolving language of gaslighting and radical cinema, Sunday's Leeds programme will demonstrate exactly why Pints of Knowledge has struck such a chord with audiences across the UK.
Founder Callum Campbell, who has spent more than a decade producing live events across Britain, said bringing the concept to Leeds was the natural next step - and we're so happy he thought so.
Image: Supplied
He said: "I've always wanted to bring Pints of Knowledge to more cities across England, and Leeds has such a strong appetite for ideas and conversation. Watching this grow has been amazing, and I can't wait to bring it here.
"As more people look for experiences beyond a traditional night out, Pints of Knowledge offers something different: expert speakers, thought-provoking conversations and the chance to meet new people, all in the relaxed surroundings of a pub.
"People still love going to the pub, but they're looking for more from the experience. Pints of Knowledge is about hearing incredible stories, asking questions, meeting interesting people and leaving having learned something new."
Image: Supplied
The Pints of Knowledge programme at The Wardrobe will look like this:
12pm - Human rights lawyer Mahnoor Omer presents '10 Legal Cases that Changed History'.
2pm - Georgina Shute asks 'Why billion-pound systems are built by people who can't finish their to-do lists'.
4pm - Isobel Logan explores 'Gaslighting: The Evolution of a Concept Across Art, Relationships and Politics'.
6pm - Angelos Koutsourakis will examine 'Third Cinema, The Global South & Climate Change'.
Campbell added: "One hour you can be unpacking landmark legal cases, the next you're hearing about the psychology behind gaslighting, before finishing the day exploring cinema and climate change. That's what makes Pints of Knowledge different.
"This is just the beginning. We've seen an incredible response across the UK, and we're excited to build on that by bringing Pints of Knowledge to more cities across the country.”
Pints of Knowledge takes place at The Wardrobe in Leeds on Sunday 9 August, and you can get your tickets here.
Georgina Pellant -
30th September 2021 
