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19
Dec
‘We are determined to stay’, say new landlords of Ripon’s South Lodge
The new landlords of the South Lodge in Ripon have pledged to make a long-term success of the pub.
The venue on Harrogate Road has seen a revolving door of tenants in recent years, and was raided by police last year.
But Will and Natalie Dowd, who re-opened the pub on Sunday, say its size and location provide an opportunity to turn it into a popular community venture.
Mr Dowd said:
“There have been a lot of landlords coming in and out, but we are determined to stay. We love the size of the venue. It’s a big place and will be ideal for community events.”
The South Lodge
The couple have a strong background in hospitality. They ran Arcade Café and Dowdies Café Bistro in their native Colne, Lancashire, before acquiring further experience at the Buck Inn in Malham and Golden Lion in Settle.
The South Lodge is part of Heineken UK-owned Star Pubs.
Mr Dowd said they plan to have a quiz night on Thursdays, live music on Fridays and karaoke on Sundays. He added food was due to be served from today (December 19) and non-dining parts of the venue would be dog-friendly.
Will and Natalie Dowd
He added the couple, who have four children, were very “hospitality-driven” and love to chat. Asked what they could do to make the venture a success, he said:
“Hopefully it’s about having the right people in and working with the community. We don’t just choose what to do — we ask the locals. It’s about gaining local trust again and consistency, and we will give it our all.”
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