Legendary Leeds club The Faversham to stop being a hospitality venue and become an events centre

Based on the campus of Leeds University, The Faversham has long been synonymous with live music and eclectic club nights.

Established in 1947, The Faversham began as a hotel, before becoming a hot spot for sporting stars and celebrities throughout the 60s and 70s.

In 2004, it became a hub for the Leeds indie music scene, offering a platform to hundreds of DJs, club nights and indie bands, with live performances from the likes of The Cribs, Arctic

Monkeys, The Streets and Hot Chip. Its convenient location, behind Leeds University Union, made it a hot bed for students as well as local Leeds residents.

However the last 18 months have taken an unbearable toll on the hospitality industry and now the independently owned venue, which has recently been refurbished, is now becoming a dedicated events space, catering for corporate events, weddings and private parties.

Many hospitality businesses have had to diversify their offering due to the pandemic and the team behind The Faversham decided that it was time to change its business model,

evolving from a club and events venue into an events-only destination.

General Manager, Zachary Williamson, said: “The last 18 months have been extremely challenging for the events and leisure industry and we are finally starting to see light at the

end of the tunnel. Our core business is weddings, so it’s been an extremely stressful time having to rearrange them. Some of our couples have had to rearrange their wedding three

times, but we are now finally able to go ahead with these bookings and look forward to welcoming our first newlyweds on 26 th June, albeit with the new restrictions in place.”

The Faversham now consists of four distinct areas where corporate and private events can take place: the hall, the lounge, the conservatory, and an extensive outdoor terrace that

seats up to 100 people. The venue is situated on private grounds with its own lawns, offering the perfect outdoor experience for guests over the more clement months. Each of these areas provides the perfect backdrop to any private celebration, corporate event or wedding.

Zach continued: “The latest coronavirus announcement on the 14 th June has definitely put a spanner in the works for any corporate and private events company but we are making

every possible effort to ensure our planned events over the coming months go ahead. As we are now a dedicated events space and no longer a night club, we have slightly more

flexibility in what we can offer our customers, plus we have such a large space both indoor and outdoor that can cater to everyone’s needs, whilst adhering to limited numbers and

social distancing measures that are still mandatory.”

The Faversham is also going to be working with event and wedding caterers, Bears Pantry, who will be based in-house at the venue.

Sam Pullan, Founder of Bears Pantry and self-titled Gastronaut, said: “We love catering for events and are delighted to be part of The Faversham Family. It’s a place steeped in nostalgia, and we are super excited to for events to come back with a bang. It’s been a rollercoaster over the last year and a half but the team at Bears Pantry are ready and raring to go with what we do best – making food that will be enjoyed and remembered.”