North Bar have announced that they have agreed the sale of The Cross Keys, a traditional English gastro pub dating back to 1802, to the new independent Water Lane Pub Company. The growth of North Brewing Co has lead directors John Gyngell and Christian Townsley to take the decision to focus on their brewery and wet led sites.
All staff from The Cross Keys will be guaranteed jobs within the North Bar family of bars and are confident that the new owners will continue to provide a social hub within Holbeck Urban Village.
This new phase for The Cross Keys will be headed up by Richard Fiddaman, former Operations Manager for North Bar.
The Cross Keys will close temporarily from Monday 22nd October before reopening under the new owners. The Water Lane Pub Company will be operating a ‘pop up’ over Christmas, before refurbishing the site in the new year.
A spokesperson for North Bar said: “The Cross Keys will always be close to our hearts, and it is fantastic to know that it is being passed on to someone who has played a part in the North Bar story. The success and exponential growth of our wet led bars, and North Brewing Co, has meant that we are focusing on these areas of our business.”
