The Duke of York pub in Royton, Oldham, has received an outpouring of support from locals after its owners announced a 'tough decision' to increase food prices due to rising costs in the hospitality industry.
The pub, on Heyside, is understood to date back to around 1905 and is operated by JW Lees. Throughout the year, it hosts family gatherings and big events like Halloween kids parties, bingo nights, live music, and psychic nights.
Pub owners cite rising costs
In a social media post, the owners said they wanted to be 'completely transparent' about the action they were taking. They explained that rising energy bills, wholesale food prices, and day-to-day running costs had hit them hard, and that increasing menu prices was necessary to maintain their high-quality offering without cutting corners.
The pub team wrote: "Like so many households and small businesses across the country, we have been feeling the heavy strain of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Behind the scenes, the sharp rise in energy bills, wholesale food prices, and day-to-day running costs has hit us hard."
They added: "We pride ourselves on serving freshly prepared, quality food made with ingredients we stand by and the talented team in our kitchen works tirelessly to bring that to your table. To maintain that quality without cutting corners, and crucially, to prevent having to close our kitchen doors for good, we will be making a modest increase to our food prices in line with other pubs across and around the surrounding areas."
Community rallies behind the pub
The owners acknowledged that times are tough for everyone but hoped people would understand the reason for the decision. They wrote: "This was the very last route we wanted to take. We explored every alternative, but ultimately, protecting our kitchen, retaining our wonderful kitchen team, and keeping our community pub thriving meant we had to take this step."
The response from regulars has been overwhelmingly supportive. One person called it the 'best pub, best staff, best food', while another wrote that the pub was an 'important part of our community' and worthy of support. A further comment said: "The greater community need to get behind the team at the Duke, we really need the pub to thrive and carry on being the beating heart of the Heyside area. Everyone spread the word about the fantastic food, great atmosphere and lovely people who work there. Everyone spread the word every visit makes a huge difference."
Another supporter said: "We understand perfectly how difficult it is to be able to continue to provide excellent quality and service within the ever increasing cost of living charges. The Duke Of York is a great pub providing a warm welcome to customers old and new. Long may you continue to do so, and we fully support your decision."
