Meanwood pub East of Arcadia set for refurbishment as it's taken over by Whitelock's

East of Arcadia, in Meanwood Road, has been purchased by Leeds city centre pub Whitelock's - which was established in 1715.

Its new owners have unveiled their plans for the venue, which include changing its name.

The largest pub in Meanwood, it was opened in 2010 and sits on the site of the former Becketts Pub.

It was the sister pub to the long-standing Arcadia bar in Headingley and was operated by Market Town Taverns.

Whitelock's will reopen the pub today for two months, trading under the current name before closing for refurbishment in August.

When the building work is complete, the pub will reopen in September under a new name - which is yet to be announced.

All existing staff will stay at the Meanwood pub, Whitelock's has confirmed.

Whitelock's managing owner Ed Mason said: "We are excited about our expansion to Meanwood and the acquisition of this high profile pub.

"We want to bring our Whitelock’s values of a warm friendly welcome, convivial atmosphere, excellent quality beers and a commitment to local and independent food and drink suppliers.

"We want to serve a diverse local community where everyone feels welcome.

“The past two years have been very difficult for all hospitality businesses, but we are seeing demand at both Whitelock’s and Five Points Brewing bounce back strongly.

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"Despite the challenges around cost of living at the moment we believe that people see and value a trip to the pub and a good quality pint as an affordable treat.”

Whitelock's was first licensed in 1715 as The Turk’s Head, and renamed by the Whitelock family in the 1880s.

The award-winning pub has been operated by Ed and his team since 2012 and showcases a wide range of independent real ales and craft beers.

Ed added: “We have a fantastic team at Whitelock’s and have built a great reputation in Leeds and are keen to continue to grow the business through acquisition of additional sites.

"We are really happy that the staff team at East of Arcadia are joining the company.

"They are a lovely, committed team who share our values of supporting independent suppliers and supporting the local community."