300-year-old Leeds city centre pub launches new £200k venture

Leeds is preparing to introduce a new venue to its ever-growing independent food and drink scene at the end of this month.

The Turk’s Head will officially open on 30th January, offering a range craft beers and spirits from independent producers, and a cocktail list.

Launched by the team that own Whitelock’s Ale House, and The Five Points Brewing Company, The Turk’s Head is the latest venture in the 300-year history of the pub and revives the name by which Whitelock’s was originally known in 1715.

The site, which was once a worker’s cottages and more recently the function room of Whitelock’s, has undergone a £200k renovation with the help from Lord Whitney, a creative studio in Leeds.

The Turk’s Head’s beer menu will include 12 on tap and 2 cask lines, as well as beers from UK breweries including Five Points Brewing Company, Ilkley Brewery and Cloudwater.

The Turk’s Head will also showcase independent and artisan spirits, providing Whittakers of Harrogate, a small batch distilled gin company, its first opportunity in Leeds.

The bar will have a Victorian influenced menu designed by Head Chef Robbie Andrews, which will feature items such as the home-made pork scratching’s, crispy pig’s ears served with caper tartar sauce, deep fried cauliflower with spiced yoghurt and the Turk’s Head pickle plate.

Ed Mason, Owner of Turk’s Head/ Whitelock’s and also owner of Five Points brewing company, said: “Whitelock’s as John Betjeman once famously said, is the very heart of Leeds. We have served the discerning drinkers of Leeds for 300 years, and The Turk’s Head is the latest chapter in our history.

“We love Whitelock’s and nothing will be changing in the main bar - but The Turk’s Head gives us the opportunity to showcase an even wider range of independent UK breweries and interesting drinks producers, and encourage even more people to come to our wonderful pub which has been at the heart of the local community for the past three centuries.”

Rebekah Whitney, creative director of Lord Whitney, added: “We’ve always loved offering audiences the chance to experience something a little different. It’s really exciting for us to be part of a project celebrating the history of Leeds’ oldest pub.

“We looked at the history of drinking establishments over the 300 years that The Turk’s Head has existed, taking inspiration from dram and liqueur shops that gave way to the infamous ‘gin palaces’ of the 18th century.

“We’re reflecting on, rather than replicating the history. There’s a focus on using high quality materials (which also mirror the quality of the drinks being served) and working with local companies on almost all aspects of the bar, including working closely with Esgate and Parkin on the bar’s branding to create an overall experience for those entering The Turk’s Head.”

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