London is out. It’s not as cool as it once was. It’s not even the most popular city in the UK anymore. All the cool kids have moved to Brighton or Manchester or, apparently, Wakefield.
Soho’s Groucho Club was first founded in 1985, and has since seen some pretty famous faces grace its doorstep. From Harry Styles to Stephen Fry, it’s safe to say the Groucho has seen wild success in the private members’ club industry.
The Groucho is getting its first-ever permanent location outside of London, and it has chosen the small Yorkshire town of Wakefield to grace with its presence. The venue? The huge Grade II listed Bretton Hall, which sits on the edge of Wakefield Sculpture Park. The building is so big, in fact, that the club will have 40 bedrooms available and be open even to non-members. Here’s what Bretton looks like.
The owners of the original London club are currently working with Wakefield Council to renovate the country house with the support of the adjacent sculpture park. They’ve said that the project will have ‘a life of its own, separate from the original Groucho, but equally with a uniquely eclectic style and personality rooted in both people and place’.
The owners of the Soho spot were enticed by the heritage of the house, which was formerly an arts college, and then part of the Uni of Leeds campus. According to the chief executive of Artfam, which owns Groucho: ‘Our plans will be respectful of these traditions while reinventing its appeal by creating modern spaces for members, new and old, locals or visitors, to work, to play, to meet, to take part in events.’
Having been sitting empty for a decade and a half now, the local council, and nearby artists, are in support of Groucho’s move to Bretton Hall, with Clare Lilley, the sculpture park’s director, saying this will ‘conserve and bring back to life’ the site.
There’s no set dates for opening yet, but if you’re in the Wakefield arts industry this is definitely one to watch. Who knows, maybe you’ll bump into Liam Gallagher roaming the hallowed halls, or Rachel Weiss enjoying a coffee with a view.
Fancy a drink?
Looking for somewhere a little special to grab a cocktail while you wait for the new Groucho to open? Have you consulted Time Out’s list of the best bars in nearby Leeds or our favourite rooftop bars in the country? Or our rundown of Britain’s best beer gardens? If you happen to be in London scouting out the original Groucho venue, we also have a guide to the city’s best cocktail bars.
Here are all the winners of the National Pub and Bar Awards 2024.
Plus: Is this UK castle really the most overrated attraction in the entire world?
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