Ex-Emmerdale mill debuts al fresco dining following £100k+ investment

A historic mill in Leeds has created an outdoor dining area thanks to over £100k of inward investment.

The Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley near Leeds has become home to a new al fresco area outside the historic Old Combing building.

The new pedestrianised area outside the Old Combing building has enabled food businesses Mill Kitchen and Grumpy’s to offer an outdoor dining experience to their customers.

The six-figure investment by Edwin Woodhouse and Co Ltd, owners of Sunny Banks Mills, follows the regeneration of Old Combing, and forms part of a wider multi-million pound investment in the mill, which has featured in TV shows Emmerdale and Heartbeat.

John Gaunt, co-managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, explained: “The Mill Kitchen and Grumpy’s have proved tremendously popular members of our Sunny Bank Mills community in recent years. We are delighted to help them build on the success they have already achieved.

“Indeed the Mill Kitchen hit the national headlines last month when it hosted Emma Barnett’s Election Show on Radio Five. Emma was impressed by the Mill Kitchen, and indeed by Sunny Bank Mills itself, and we were delighted to show her around.”

William Gaunt, Edwin Woodhouse co-managing director, added: “One of the key aspects of our strategy at Sunny Bank Mills is to help our tenants if we possibly can.

“The regeneration of the Old Combing building, together with the creating of an outdoor eating area, has allowed us to do exactly that.

“We look forward to the Mill Kitchen and Grumpy’s going from strength to strength. That’s not just good news for everyone who works here, but for Farsley as a whole.”