THE Potting Shed in Bingley was doing social distancing long before it was even a thing.
The popular bar’s brightly coloured sheds, which have been refurbished over lockdown, are a quirky feature of the beer garden and perfect for a night out at a social distance. And the sun-kissed roof terrace offers a spacious, relaxed area for al fresco drinks and dining.
The roof terrace is a spacious relaxed area
The Potting Shed - the T&A’s Pub of the Week - has made several changes in line with safety guidance since re-opening and its menu, using fresh local produce, is part of the Government’s Eat Out To Help Out Scheme. The bistro bar, which had its fifth anniversary in March and has over 20 staff, has been busy since re-opening last month. “We’ve launched an app to order food and drink directly to tables and we’ve increased kitchen hours to 10pm,” says Isaac Mayne, Head Of Sales and Marketing. “We’re well known for our pizzas, cooked fresh to order in our wood fired pizza oven, and our shed kebabs and burgers such as our Yorkshire Burger - a 21 day aged Aberdeen Angus beef burger served between two Yorkshire puddings.”
The popular Yorkshire Burger
Other changes include: face coverings for staff; sanitiser stations and screens throughout; limited capacity to allow for social distancing; a new table plan; increased messaging, to encourage social distancing; increased cleaning; and safety training for staff, who are all temperature checked before starting shifts.
Adds Isaac: “We’ve also ensured our rooftop terrace is always open with the retractable roof back - as long as the weather is on our side - so customers have more places to drink and dine in the fresh air. And we’re still dog friendly for well behaved pooches!
“Since re-opening everyone in Bingley has been fantastic, we’ve seen a real influx in trade from the Eat Out To Help Out scheme.
“Everyone has been respectful to one another and our staff, which is great to see, and we’ve loved being back open and seeing our regulars return.”
The bar has made some layout changes
The Potting Shed is part of Sparkling Bradford, delivered by The Broadway Bradford, Bradford Council, Visit Bradford and the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID) to showcase the visitor experience on offer across the district. Launched for 2020 with a new website - sparklingbradford.info - it is considered a “crucial” initiative for summer by partners who have pledged to support local trade and the visitor economy as the district carefully emerges from lockdown.
“We’re proud to be part of Sparkling Bradford, it’s a fantastic initiative,” says Isaac. “The support we’ve received from Visit Bradford has been brilliant, it’s really helped us raise awareness of our re-opening in the area and we’re very grateful for all the help provided.”
* The Potting Shed Bar & Gardens, 94 Main Street, Bingley. Visit pottingshedbar.com or call (01274) 512635.
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* Has your pub got what it takes to be our Pub of the Week? Each week, the Telegraph & Argus will feature a different pub from across the Bradford district; showcasing what’s great about our cherished locals.
We would love to hear from you about your favourite pubs. Maybe you’ve been a regular in the same local for years, or you’ve discovered one of the many new bars in the district. Or, if you’re a pub landlord or bar owner, tell us why your business should be featured on this page. Does your pub have any special features or a story behind it? Have you made any changes, or have any planned? And why is it important to communities to get pubs open again?
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