The Woods Leeds: Brothers behind Call Lane bar Roland’s announce takeover of beloved Chapel Allerton pub

The Woods, in Stainbeck Corner, Chapel Allerton has been taken over by the owners of Call Lane bar Roland’s Alexander and Jonathan Neil.

It has come after the Woods’ previous owners Richard Todd and Paul Logan were looking to retire earlier this year but wanted to ensure the Woods remained the vibrant spot it is, in the heart of the community.

Alexander explained: “Paul is an old friend of ours. We've known him for many years. His background is in interior design, and he helped us design Roland’s back in the day, just as a friend. He really helped us source some furniture. And he's always had a drink at Roland’s, and we've always been very friendly with him. 

“It was in January, we were having our Christmas party for the distillery and he was there. We chatted to him, and he mentioned that he and Richard were wanting to retire soon. 

“Straight away, my brother being my brother, his ears pricked up.” 

The brothers are also behind speakeasy jazz bar the Domino Club in the Grand Arcade and own the hugely successful Yorkshire gin company Wolfe Bros, distilled here in Leeds.

Earlier this year, when Roland’s marked its 10th year in the city, Alexander told the YEP that they are “always looking for new opportunities” to grow.

“The Woods is an established business,” Alexander said.

“It's a very profitable business and a very well-run business.

“We weren't looking for anything in the suburbs or even in Chapel Allerton, we were just looking for something different, something where we think we can make a difference, and where we can make a good business. The Woods just sort of fell into our laps.”

Alexander completed his first shift at the pub last week and the response he has seen from customers, both in-person and online, has been incredibly positive.

He said: “I also got the social media passwords last week and I did a little post from our socials saying that we're in charge of the Woods now, and the feedback has just been huge.

“My phone's been pinging constantly with the notifications, new followers of the Woods, new likes and new comments. Everyone's been so super enthusiastic about it. 

“I've done a few shifts myself. I was working last night, and I spoke to so many people that said they've heard about the change of ownership and they're really excited, because it's such a lovely community. It's easily the best place to go out in Chapel Allerton. 

“Everyone seems to be really, really excited about some fresh blood coming in and the support community has been great so far.”

Alexander said he has reassured customers of the well-loved pub that nothing is going to change - but the brothers will be bringing in their own expertise to revamp the place and give it the love they believe it deserves.

He explained: “We don't want to rock the boat. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. 

“We're not changing the name, we're not changing the style, we're not doing a big refurb or anything like that. With the deepest respect to Richard and Paul, the place needs a little bit of love, a bit of care and attention.

“A lot of it is looking a bit tired. It's beautifully designed, but we're going to touch it all up. We've got our house handymen in, working around the clock at the moment, just fixing things. 

“So no major redesign, no major retooling, just lots of little tweaking here and there, because it just needs lifting in a few little places.”

Alexander added: “One of the biggest things we're going to bring to the table is our experience with cocktails. So the Woods’ has a small, limited cocktail menu currently, and with our experience, we think we can really revamp that to make much better drinks and much more accessible. 

“Something that I'm really proud of is the level of customer service that we do in Roland’s and the Domino Club. That's something we're going to bring here.

“And we're going to really focus on the staff, make sure the staff love their jobs. It's not rocket science, and staff love the jobs, and they're going to be better to the customers as well and everyone gets a better experience.”

Alexander has also revamped the food options available at the Woods with a new pizza menu going live tomorrow, featuring a burrata pizza with mortadella and chilli dressing.

It will be followed by the new burger menu, set to launch next week, with a number of new items including a mozzarella mushroom burger, a spicy harissa lamb burger, a Korean-inspired chicken burger. Changes have also been made to the Woods’ Sunday lunches, which will debut in the near future. Customers can also expect a new wine menu and spirits list as well as Wolfe Bros’ very own gin.

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