Tom Kerridge wants to help Yorkshire landlords turn their pub's fortunes around - here's how to sign up

The production company behind an upcoming Tom Kerridge show in which he will try to save Britain's pubs is specifically searching for Yorkshire landlords to appear on the programme.
Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.
Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

Bone Soup Productions is keen to film in the region, but so far has not received enough interest from publicans in the area.

-> Why I’m teetotal now, by TV chef Tom KerridgeChef and publican Kerridge will be using his business experience and his passion for the trade to work with determined landlords and communities to save their much-loved pubs from closing their doors for good.

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Those who need help with a struggling pub or are trying to save one that’s on the brink of closure are urged to get in touch.

Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.
Chef Tom Kerridge during a visit to Roundhay Park in Leeds ahead of his Pub in the Park festival. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

When the BBC announced the show last week, Kerridge said: “When a community loses its pub, it loses its soul. Pubs are a vital part of our history and culture, and communities with a decent pub at their heart are stronger for it because people from all walks of life mix and socialise there.

"While many local services and shops are closing down, there are clear opportunities for reinventing what a pub can be. I want to work with locals to give them what they most want and need and create a place where they all feel welcome. That’s the foundation for building a pub that will survive. I need to prove that 21st century pubs can serve their communities and thrive.”

-> 17 photos of Tom Kerridge's Pub in the Park as he calls Leeds a "top foodie destination"Last year nearly 1,000 pubs in Britain closed down. Between 2001 and 2018 an estimated 13,000 called last orders for good.

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In Yorkshire the number of pubs has been decreasing in the same period, with York the only local authority area to see a boost (by nine per cent) in the amount of such businesses.

Bradford, for example, has seen a 40 per cent decrease in the number of pubs between 2001 and 2018, with 165 fewer watering holes over that period.

Kerridge is chef patron of the two Michelin-starred pub The Hand & Flowers, the one Michelin-starred pub The Coach and his pub and butcher’s shop, The Butcher’s Tap, all in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. He is also chef patron of Kerridge’s Bar & Grill in the Corinthia London.

He has presented many series for BBC Two, including Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food, Lose Weight For Good, Top of the Shop and Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start. His latest cookery series, Lose Weight And Get Fit, is also due for transmission on BBC Two in 2020.

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Publicans who are interested in appearing in the show can email or call the team at Bristol-based Bone Soup Productions with their name, contact details and some information about the pub at [email protected] or 0117 906 4321.