In December 2008, Richard Hawley and Matthew Jones opened The Shed Bar, which through its ten year life has become an institution on the Leeds Rock and Indie scene.
An exposed brick railway arch provides a great contrast with warm, welcoming wood, the combination resonating with modern rock and indie blended with classic rock n roll. Rich and Matt were captivated by both the layout and the acoustics and remain so today.
There is a huge choice of drinks available at The Shed, from widely popular beers, ales and cocktails to vintage malt whiskies, with the ultimate rarity – a Macallan 1958 23 year old Anniversary Malt – retailing at £9,000 per bottle. Ouch. No matter what your tipple, it will be served by who Rich and Matt describe as their tight-knit team, headed by manager Mikey Crimmons, himself in situ for over eight years and given credit for the stability in place. Ben, Matt’s brother and fellow shareholder, has the ideas and the product knowledge to enhance the business alongside the partners; a combination which obviously works.
Today is a far cry from the fledgling business, when there was a very quiet six months or more, yet the two partners were determined to keep their faith in their vision for the venue and its music. They are rightly proud of standing their ground and of the following they have, which builds up year on year.
So – to help the team at The Shed celebrate, why not pay them a visit on 30 November and 1 December, when there’ll be some special celebratory drink offers and a rather good guest DJ!
