Revealed: Your YEP Leeds Pub of the Year 2017

Readers have voted for The Bridge, in Horsforth, as their favourite pub of 2017 in the hotly-contested annual competition.

Landlady Rachel Jenkinson has been running the popular watering hole on Low Lane for the past ten years, building up a loyal band of regulars.

She told the YEP: “We are absolutely over the moon to win this award and want to thank all the customers who voted for us and keep coming back week after week.

27 December 2017 ....... YEP Pub of Year The Bridge at Horsforth.
Editor Hannah Thaxter, centre presents landlady Rachel Jenkinson with the award with staff members Scott Garratt and Richard 'Roger' Davidson with Dave Kerridge, Retail Sales Manager at the YEP. Picture Tony Johnson — 27 December 2017 ....... YEP Pub of Year The Bridge at Horsforth. Editor Hannah Thaxter, centre presents landlady Rachel Jenkinson with the award with staff members Scott Garratt and Richard 'Roger' Davidson with Dave Kerridge, Retail Sales Manager at the YEP. Picture Tony Johnson

“We are a very community-focused pub and it’s great to be recognised for all the hard work done by the staff.”

Plans are currently being put in place to mark the pub’s 150th anniversary in March next year.

The Bridge has also hosted a beer festival for the past five years.

The landlady added: “I think it is events such as these that make the place special.

27 December 2017 ....... YEP Pub of Year The Bridge at Horsforth.
Landlady Rachel Jenkinson with the award with staff members Scott Garratt and Richard 'Roger' Davidson. Picture Tony Johnson — 27 December 2017 ....... YEP Pub of Year The Bridge at Horsforth. Landlady Rachel Jenkinson with the award with staff members Scott Garratt and Richard 'Roger' Davidson. Picture Tony Johnson

“We are also very customer-focused and have a loyalty card scheme for regulars to save money on drinks and food.

“We have a wide range of cask ales, a great beer garden and very friendly staff, which all adds to the great atmosphere.”

Second place in the competition went to The Woodman, on Selby Road, Halton.

Landlady Sinead Flanagan has only been at the helm for two months but said the award was a welcome surprise.

Yorkshire Evening Post Pub of the Year. Runner up Sinead Flanagan from The Woodman, Selby Road, Leeds.
27th December 2017.
Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe — Yorkshire Evening Post Pub of the Year. Runner up Sinead Flanagan from The Woodman, Selby Road, Leeds. 27th December 2017. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe

She said: “The Woodman is only a small pub but is always a happy and friendly place to be.

“It has been a very hectic couple of months.

“Our karaoke and disco nights at weekends are always really popular.

“We are looking at putting even more events on in the new year and are planning to start a weekly quiz night too.”

Yorkshire Evening Post Pub of the Year. YEP editor Hannah Thaxter presents the runner up award to Sinead Flanagan from The Woodman, Selby Road, Leeds.
27th December 2017.
Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe — Yorkshire Evening Post Pub of the Year. YEP editor Hannah Thaxter presents the runner up award to Sinead Flanagan from The Woodman, Selby Road, Leeds. 27th December 2017. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe

The Three Horse Shoes, on Otley Road, Far Headingley, claimed third place.

Manager Sally Bowes-Smith said the award comes after months of hard work to put the 200-year-old pub back at the heart of the community.

She said: “The previous owners wanted to change the name of the pub and there was a bit of an outcry locally.

“We have tried to win back as many local people as possible.

“The atmosphere has been great in here lately and its nice to see people coming back.

“This pub is not all about catering for people doing the Otley Run pub crawl - it’s an important facility within the community.”

She added that live music on a weekend and “good pub grub at good prices” had also been part of the formula to turn the pub’s fortunes around.