With an estimated 2,500 pubs closing their doors last year, local Brewers and Distilleries have increasingly picked up the slack by reviving the wonderful old tradition of the taproom - but with a craft ethos and design aesthetic that’s revolutionised the concept for this day and age.
Taproom, Brewpub or micropub - whatever name they’re known by, the best are never “just a bar”, and this is an important difference for punters and brands alike.
A great taproom is a place where craft and culture take centre stage. It’s a place of community and discovery, where people sample new tastes, independently and locally produced.
It’s a place where people see behind the scenes and connect with friends and the brand at the same time.
It’s a place we love to design.
Why? Because taprooms combine four of our absolute favourite things:
1. Creating amazing, transformational spaces for work and play
2. Working with awesome clients
3. Great interior design
4. Beer/ Gin That’s why we’re proud as Punch to have designed the interiors for three really great taprooms recently. Let us show you around…
North Brewing Co @ Springwell Leeds
One of our favourite brands, it’s always a pleasure to work with North Brewing Co, the multi-awardwinning Brewery and Taproom pioneers behind the “first Craft Beer Bar in Britain”.
Having fully refurbished the interior of the legendary North Bar last year*, we were delighted to do our stuff again at their immense new 20,000 sq ft brewery, office and 500-capacity taproom, Springwell.
* In 3 weeks, while they remained open throughout.
This vast industrial space was a beautiful blank canvas, replete with exposed brickwork, ducting and pipes and the original rough plaster walls.
Our brief was to work with the industrial shell, infusing it with the North Brewing Co brand DNA, and creating a warm and welcoming commercial, events and community environment.
As with North Bar, we introduced lots of warm woods, offsetting the roughness of the building’s framework with a softer, tactile feel through a light parquet flooring and the dynamic angled panelling that’s become a symbol of the North Brewing Co brand.
Throughout the building, entire walls painted in electric and deep blues pop against against white and black.
The taproom itself, tiled in contemporary blue and white, sits beneath the towering stainless steel fermentation tanks, keeping the heart of the brewery where it belongs - front and centre, always.
Amity Brew Co, Farsley
“Beer Geeks at heart”, Amity Brew Co launched in the middle of the pandemic with an ethos that we’re very happy to espouse - Community, Friendship and Good Beer.
Their Farsley Brewpub sits in a beautiful old mill building just outside Leeds, with beer brewed on-site in small batches and delivered “fast and fresh” into their community’s eager hands.
Designing for this stunning old building called for a sympathetic approach. The mill is packed with original features and, as with Springwell, these are elements we love to retain and incorporate, celebrating the tradition and heritage of the space.
The bare brick walls, overhead beams and exposed lighting trunking have been softened with comfortable leather sofas and chairs that invite lengthy lounging, subtle industrial-style downlighting and pale wood floors.
A stunning feature bar with mermaid tiles to the front fascia and cool blue retro tiling to the back pump wall takes centre stage, while an uninterrupted view of the working brewery through large Crittal-style windows keeps visitors connected to the working brewery.
The absolute best part of this project for us? We’ve collaborated on our very own Amity X Design Tonic beer - a fruity, delicious single hop pale ale called Blueprint. Grab your 6-pack here!
Masons Yorkshire Gin, Leeming Bar
Born on World Gin Day in 2013, Masons of Yorkshire have built an excellent reputation for their exceptional gins.
After a fire devastated their original premises in 2019, Masons asked us to design their new home, creating a stunning multi-purpose space in a custom-built distillery in the heart of Bedale.
No simple tasting space here - our design was to encompass a new gin school, shop, laboratory and bar, this latter to host their fantastic gin experiences as well as to welcome visitors.
Masons wanted an elegant, luxurious finish with comfort front of mind, and we were delighted to find we had plenty of industrial elements to work with - including exposed services, a stunning poured concrete floor and task lighting.
Our design combines luxe textures and plush, buttoned wingback seating with rich woods and statement lighting that casts a soft, warm glow.
The curvaceous lines of Tony, the stunning copper still who takes pride of place in the new distillery, are echoed in the curves of the furniture and decorative details, while wood and metal shelving gives a subtle nod to the building’s industrial aesthetic.
Completed in a tight 10-week timeframe, Masons now have a stunning new home in which they can continue to thrive and showcase their wares in style.
Are you part of the taproom revival? If you’d like to pick our brains and see how we can invigorate your Brewpub space, get in touch today.
