Westmorland invests £700k to reopen iconic Kendal venue

Josh Macaulay (second from right), manager Callan Hackett (second from left) and contractors

An iconic bar and music venue is to reopen in Kendal, creating around 30 new jobs.

Bootleggers, which will host a range of local and UK and international touring bands, has been expanded and will now also include a 150-seat café and restaurant serving tapas small plate food with a Mediterranean theme.

Westmorland Group has spent £700,000 on a renovation project, using local tradespeople, to add to its portfolio in the town, which includes the Ye Olde Fleece Inn, The Gateway Inn and The Duke of Cumberland in Kendal.

They will operate the venue, which it is leasing from Charles Scott and Patrick Brennand.

“Bootleggers is a great asset for Kendal which has been seriously missed since it closed in 2020,” said Westmorland Group director Josh Macaulay.

“It is important that we keep the same vibe and culture because Bootleggers was a fantastic place that holds an important place in many people’s memories and we want to ensure we carry that legacy forward in everything we do.”

He explained the building everyone remembered as Bootleggers was still there but Westmorland Group had acquired 13 Market Place, next to the Skipton Building Society, which backs on to the old Bootleggers.

“We have knocked the wall down so it is now all one building. That means there is a proper street-facing entrance to Bootleggers in Market Place in the centre of town,” said Macaulay.

Macaulay said he wanted the the vibe of the venue to be a tribute to its founder Jonty Martindale.

“I remember going to Bootleggers in the past and it was fantastic,” he said.

“It had an amazing atmosphere and the thing that was always special was everyone felt welcome. It had a mixture of young people in their 20s and retired people in their 60s and everything in between and everyone felt comfortable.

“I think live music brings together a wide spectrum of people with a shared common passion and we aim to replicate that atmosphere going forward.

“I hope the community gets behind Bootleggers and supports it because hospitality has had real challenges over recent years with things like high energy bills and we really want this to be a great asset for the town.”

He added: “We also want to pay tribute to the late Jonty Martindale who helped set up Bootleggers in 1998 and ran the venue for many years. We want to honour his legacy and carry it forward to the next generation.”

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