High Spirits Leisure Group is opening its 8th Lake District hospitality venue, situated in Ambleside’s Old Mill Yard, following a £500k revamp, creating 20 new jobs.
The 160-cover Ambleside Tap Yard is set to be a destination for local craft beer and real ale enthusiasts by offering pasteurised craft beers direct from local Cumbrian breweries, from 6 large 1,000 pint copper tanks displayed above the bar. The offering will also feature the group's own brand of beers.
The system is heavily focused on a low environmental footprint, cutting down transport by up to 90%, using substantially less packaging and ensuring less waste. The extensive beer selection will be accompanied by quality wood fired hand-stretched pizzas, gourmet burgers & sharing delicatessen boards.
The venue will also offer a separate takeaway called Ice & Slice, which will offer soft-serve ice cream, wood-fired pizza slices, retro milkshakes, and beverages. It will have its own outside seating and is set to open this month.
The site of the new venue sits adjacent to the group's last opening, The Flying Fleece, which successfully opened the doors in July 2020.
This latest outlet will be the third opening for the group within the last 14 months, bucking the trend of closures during a difficult time for the industry.
Group CEO, Colin Monk commented “We recognise the last 12 months have been a difficult time for the hospitality industry, however, it’s also offering opportunities to expand the group with prime location sites becoming available allowing us to continue our growth plans, as usual, our offering will be quality led with a unique environment, experience and friendly service.”