THE newly appointed general manager of a Keighley pub said he he is looking forward to working at such an inviting, friendly location.

Franklin Slater was appointed to the post at The Roebuck, in Skipton Road, Utley, two weeks ago.

The pub is owned by the Stonegate Pub Company.

Mr Slater said he first visited The Roebuck in March of this year and was immediately attracted to the premises.

“It just had such a lovely, warm feel to it,” he said. “It’s one of those pubs that I knew we could do a lot with. It’s in a beautiful location and the regulars are brilliant too.”

Mr Slater will be managing The Roebuck alongside his wife, Paiten.

He has 15 years of experience in the trade and used to work for the Greene King pub company, looking after two pubs in North Wales and The Wirral.

He has now moved to Utley from his previous home in Wrexham.

Mr Slater said: “This pub had a massive refurbishment last year – they spent just over £250,000 on it so it’s in great shape.

“I’ve been brought here to drive the business forward. We’ve been giving it a lot of attention and have already had plenty of positive feedback.

“We understand that this pub is a focal point for the area and we want to give something back.

“We’ll be showing live sport here, offering 20 per cent discounts to anyone with an NHS card and we have a passionate, brand new kitchen team with a very experienced new head chef – Ryan Collins.

“We’re re-launching the pub quiz night, and will be hosting monthly live music events.

“People will no longer have to pay to use our car park.”

Mr Slater added that he was keen to support local sports clubs, noting that the pub is sponsoring a Keighley team – Worth Village Wolf Cubs.

“We want to make a success of things, so the pub is a long-term project for us,” he said.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has welcomed us here. People have been so nice.”