Mark’s Interview At Parnaby Tavern Voted YEP Pub Of The Year

I would like to introduce myself I’m Kenneth Ingram, Volunteer reporter and Photographer for South Leeds Life Newspaper and blog.

I’m here today to interview Mark, the Landlord of the Parnaby Tavern, who along with Wife, Linda, has been awarded YEP best pub of the year.

 

parnaby tavern
Mark (Landlord) and Miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st of all congratulations to you and Linda, for receiving this award, Mark.

I understand the Parnaby Tavern came second last year, so after about 5 years at the Tavern you must be pleased at this great accolade.

Q

What does it mean to you and Linda to be awarded this amazing award?

I’m over the moon, it just goes to show how well liked the Parnaby is with the amount of people that voted for us, and it’s overwhelming we have been voted number 1 this year.

Q

I also remember a couple of year back you had Tavernier of the yep, came along to the Parnaby Tavern, and did a review.

He commented in the yep that his thoughts were the Parnaby as a community pub. What do you think a community pub should do, to be described as that type of pub?

Just to serve the local people in the local area. As you know we run a social group on a Wednesday afternoon, which is Dementia Friendly.

We run a Mums and Tots group on a Wednesday morning.

The Parnaby fund raises and has special events, anything local we try and get on to, and make sure things go well, and try just to serve the community best we can. 

parnaby
Parnaby Tavern

Q

It’s just over a year ago that a Dementia Friendly group was formed at the Tavern on a Wednesday afternoon.  I hope that me and Peter Smith had an input into that.

Could you please tell us what made you and Linda decide to form this group?

As you said Ken with you coming in and you mentioned the group at Rothwell and the possibilities of expanding to other groups, with the Pub not opened until 4pm generally during the week, I find it quite a waste and I thought it would be very nice to extend a welcome to a Dementia Friendly group.  

See what we could do to help the people in and around, not just here but anywhere that they wanted to come to discuss with people either in the same boat as them and how to get help for them.

It’s absolutely blossomed, it is absolutely marvellous to see people who would normally just look at their 4 walls all week, whether the TV is on whether they have a partner or not, come in start chatting having a conversation and a laugh between themselves.

You see these people belly laughing,  and it’s so warming to see I take great pride in been able to open up for these sessions   

Q

When you and Linda do get away from running the Parnaby Tavern for few hours, which is your favourite restaurant and type of foods you both enjoy most, and of course what are your tipples?

When we do get the chance to get away, our favourite restaurant in Leeds is called the Black house, just off City Square. It’s a bit of a Steak house, but serves some nice Lobster which Linda is partial to.

I like my Steak, Linda likes sparkling wines, Champaign, Cocktails, Brandy. I’m partial to a bit of Rum. So that’s where we love to go to and relax and have a pleasant evening.

Pulling the pints - and hopefully pulling the votes in too. (Image: Ed Carlisle.)
Pulling the pints  . (Image: Ed Carlisle.)

Q

Where in the world would you and Linda like to go for a holiday where you’ve never been before and why?

Somewhere we’ve never been, would have to be in the Summer, Seychelles, why because it’s a total escape from everything, total relaxed Holiday.

For all we run the pub together, Linda is a full time Nurse, so when we get the chance to have a week away we do like to worship the sun a little bit, just relax a little bit, do nothing and enjoy the warm weather.

Q

Final question is there anything you would like to add this this interview before we finish.

Well me and Linda would like to thank every customer that comes in for supporting us over the years and would like to give special thanks to those who voted for us in the YEP best Pub of the year and voted number 1 pub in Leeds.

Thank you Mark of the Parnaby Tavern. Voted YEP best Pub of the Year 2015.

Listen to Mark’s interview here: