Villagers take on owners to save Emmerdale pub from ‘trendies’

Owners Enterprise Inns held a meeting about the future of the famous hostelry, which had recently closed and then reopened, attended by 65 regulars.

John Dennison, 61, said; “It was a good meeting and the pub has now been reopened for six weeks which has got to be good news. Enterprise Inns said they want to go forward with plans to serve food and create an extension at the back of the building.

‘‘I have been going in there for 40 years and it is very important to people in Esholt, Bradford, how it is handled. There were worries that if it was turned into a trendy eaterie you wouldn’t be able to just go in and have a pint. It was a positive meeting and we will just have to see where we go from here.”

An Enterprise spokeswoman said: “We are still considering our options but we are working closely with the local community to realise the pub’s full potential and striving for agreement with all interested parties.”

Tourist village Esholt already attracts coachloads of visitors thanks to its Emmerdale connections, although the soap is no longer filmed there, but its sewage works have also brought in visitors. Tourists were able to enjoy a pint as well as booking themselves on a trip round Yorkshire Water’s Waste Water treatment works for a peek behind the scenes.

The Woolpack, one of television’s most famous pubs had to call last orders last year as the pub struggled to make ends meet – like many other licensed premises.

Nichola and Richard McGrath took over the 177-year-old hostelry on a 10-year-lease from Enterprise Inns four years ago but, with six more years left to run, they decided to quit.