A York bar which closed suddenly to the dismay of many locals has reopened under a new team and with a new look.
The Hand, on York Road in Acomb, shut last October and was put up for sale.
Now it’s back in business, with Matt Wright and his wife Becky and business partner Tim Kinslow at the helm.
Matt is a design director at media tech company Spicy Mango and Becky works for LNER, so this is their first hospitality venture together.
“We’ve done various bits and pieces in the past together,” Matt told YorkMix. “My wife has always loved bar work. In actual fact, we, we met in Greece doing bar work in 1996.”
Their children Arty and Lily are also helping at the Hand making it “a family thing”.
Tim, meanwhile, is firmly rooted in the pub business having run The Leeman Rose in York for many years.
Becky is originally from York and she and Matt moved back to the city in 2003 “and I absolutely love it”, Matt said.
They live in Acomb. “It’s a fantastic place. It’s such an eclectic mix of people and businesses.
“I drank in the in The Hand in its previous incarnation and really enjoyed it.
“It offered something a little bit different. They had a very good first year, and then less so.
“I think there’s a number of reasons as to why the business didn’t work. The internet rumour mill is awash with with bits and pieces around that. So we’re looking at doing a clean slate.”
He read about The Hand’s closure on YorkMix and put in a bid soon after. “It was a bit of a no brainer for me.
“It was dropped onto my onto my lap unexpectedly, if you like, but once I’d made my mind up and I’d had a chat with Tim, we were straight round.”
They have expanded the area inside by removing the old bar, and turning what was the kitchen area into the bar.
There’s new decor and a new brand too. “It feels like a lovely, cosy space.”
And that’s not all that’s changed. “The previous owners tried to do a little bit more of a food offering. It’s something that we will look into moving forward.
“We’ll be leading with beers. At the moment, we’ve got Alhambra, which is a really lovely Spanish lager.”
Brew York’s Time Travelling Taxi, Veltins and Guinness are also behind the bar. “We’re also offering a cask as well. And of course, because we’re not tied, we’ll be rotating beers regularly.”
There’s a “fantastic” selection of wines, along with “some really interesting non-alcohol options”.
The Hand had a soft opening last night, with the first full night tonight (Thursday).
“The reception has been great. So far, social has gone just ballistic. If I’m honest, I can’t quite believe the reception we’re getting.
“So I hope people come visit and support us. I think it’s going to be a great addition to to this fantastic village, Acomb.”
They’re likely to put on live music nights in the future. “Nothing’s off the table. The area at the back, we have a TV. We’ve actually got it showing a fire at the moment.
“It was mentioned in one of the local Facebook groups – I think someone thought we were going to be a sports bar, which we are most definitely not.
“We may do some large sporting events, Six Nations rugby etc. But the area to the back, near, near where the TV is, lends itself perfectly to have live music.”
Although there’s no food, they’ll be looking to get some outside catering occasionally, including barbecues in the better weather to make the most of an expanding outside area at the front.
Matt hopes The Hand will be a real asset to his home neighbourhood. “Acomb is a fantastic, close-knit community. It deserved to be reopened.”
