Restaurant transformed into new microbrewery with £200,000 investment

Pub operator Concept Taverns has invested £200,000 in transforming the oldest venue in its portfolio it into a new microbrewery.

Located on Town Street in Horsforth, the bar was formerly known as Bar 166 & Bistro and has been renamed as The Malt Brewhouse.

The revamped venue includes an extension to accommodate the brewery, and a new open-plan layout.

The old restaurant has been replaced with an open kitchen space, boothed seating area, shuffleboard and open view into the brand new microbrewery.

Following a two month refurbishment process, the bar is now officially open for business.

Ben Jones, managing director, said: “After 14 successful years owning Bar 166 & Bistro, we wanted to give Horsforth something new and exciting to enjoy. Our taste and ambitions have changed over the years, along with our customers, and I think everyone felt ready for the change.

“Microbreweries will become more common in the coming years, so we want to be ahead of the game. We’re really pleased to be bringing the first one to our hometown.”

Ben Warren, operations director, added: “The new four-barrel microbrewery is capable of brewing 2,400 pints per week. We’ve added 10 new lines of beers and six cask hand-pulls to offer 16 beers in total, the most in the area we believe.

“This is on top of our new cocktail menu, well thought-out wine list, and a great range of gins and whiskeys. We’ve also installed four 50-inch digital screens and both Sky & BT Sports, and while we’re definitely not a sports-led pub, we feel it is an essential part of the modern pub to offer great entertainment through sport.”

The Malt Brewhouse is manned by 10 staff, with plans to recruit two more.