Pub in Ilkley re-opens under new management

The Station pub on Station Road has been taken over by a new landlord who is eager to give the people of Ilkley a local pub where they can go to get reasonably priced drinks and a community feel.

Jason Smith, who owns a number of pubs around the area, took over The Station last week, after ‘sprucing it up' and giving it a slight make-over.

Jason Smith is the new landlord of The Station in Ilkley

He said: "As soon as I went into The Station pub I knew I wanted it.

“We’ve had lots of new locals coming through, it’ll probably take a little while to build the business back up but that’s fine.”

“We’re a very traditional pub, we never try to change the pubs, that’s the trick. We never touch them, we like to keep them how they should be."

Jason said they’ve got Sky and BT sports in the pub for people to watch live sports, and have some future plans to give the pub a renovation later this year.

The Station, Ilkley

He added: “We’re going to let the pub sit and rest and see who comes through the door, and change based on what people want.

"If we have someone come through and say they really like this whisky, we might then go out and get that whisky for them. We’re very happy to see what happens and adapt as the pub develops.”

At the moment, the Heineken leased pub has four cask ales on offer, a range of Heineken products,  and a selection of wines and gins which he hopes to keep at affordable prices.

Bar area inside The Station

“People think because it's Ilkley and it's got Betty’s and whatever else in it, you can charge what you want, but that’s wrong and we want to change that.”

“Ilkley does still have a community in it, and not everyone wants to pay £6 for a pint on a Monday night,” he said.

“When I go into a pub, I have to think, could I live here, and I knew straight away that was the case with The Station.”

“We’ve had a really good response so far and there’s lots of enthusiasm about it. We know are new people coming in because they ask where the toilet is and that’s when you know."

The pub is open every day from 11am - 12pm.