Duck & Drake: Inside the beloved Leeds city centre pub that is a favourite among music lovers and Gen Z
As general manager Rob Wilson put it, the Duck & Drake in Leeds city centre is “a lot of things to a lot of people”.
The beloved Kirkgate pub is renowned in equal parts for its exceptional range of craft beers, its frequent live music, its welcoming atmosphere and its colourful haven of a beer garden.
He said: “At any given point you can have a group of bikers in one corner, a group of old lads in another ticking off their beer list and some music students in another. And they will all be getting along.”
It’s for these reasons that the traditional boozer has amassed all manner of admirers and why it is proving a favourite spot for the younger generation that are becoming more acquainted with the charming allure of going to your local drinking hole.
The Duck and Drake was a popular choice among Yorkshire Evening Post readers recently when we asked for their favourite pubs in the city. Other popular choices included The Three Legs on The Headrow and The Moot Hall Arms on Mill Hill.
Originally opening in 1840 as a coaching inn, the pub has existed under several different names including The Horse & Groom and The Broughman’s Arms. During the Second World War, it gained a reputation for being a place where women would meet and entertain American GI’s.
Even before it was renamed Duck & Drake (which refers to the pastime of skimming stones on water) 40 years ago, the pub had become a go-to spot for live music. That tradition has been kept firmly alive until this day, with bands playing four nights a week and the walls covered with rock ‘n roll legends to keep you company even when popping in for a daytime pint from one of the 15 cask beer lines.
Mr Wilson said: “There’s people who’ve been coming and enjoying the music here for the last 40 years.”
The gig nights, which are all free to attend, always attract a good crowd and feature local bands and tribute acts, with this Saturday’s headliner, Ey Up Maiden, covering both of those fields.
Mr Wilson said: “We also have jam nights and work with the music college to give bands their first chance. There’s also a yearly showcase event.
“It’s a great place to work if, like me, you don’t mind listening to Led Zeppelin all day.”
Mr Wilson, who has worked at the pub for 15 years and been running the show for the last five, praised the pub’s ability to attract customers from all different backgrounds.
He said: “There’s no one set customer group. It’s a lot of things to a lot of people.
“There’s something for everybody. It’s very easy to feel comfortable.”
He added that he has seen a much younger clientele in recent years, with many attracted to the social aspect of heading to the pub and the rapid growth of popularity of Guinness and craft beer that has been fuelled by social media.
Mr Wilson, 41, said: “It seems the pub thing has made a big comeback with the younger crowd.
“When I was at college you’d come in and it was all older guys drinking 10 pints but people don’t drink like that anymore. It’s more about the social aspect and that’s why people come down.”
He also pointed to the increased cost of drinking that has fed into customers’ changing habits and created a more hospitable atmosphere in pubs across the city.
This is also helped by the friendly bar staff, with Mr Wilson adding: “The guys down here are great. There’s a really good mix of people and it’s not a chore.
“This is the good thing about us being on the cusp of the city centre too. We are still busy but it’s people who are wanting to come down this way.”
He said that the beer garden is also a big draw for drinkers, with canal walkers and regulars often making use of the relaxing space, adding: “After Covid people came for the outside area who maybe wouldn’t have known about it before.”
He said that the pub is facing difficult times with the increase of costs but feels like it has weathered the storm by staying true to its core principals.
“I think people have been more understanding of beer prices going up this time around because it wasn’t just beer going up.
“We do our best to balance that with not screwing over the customer and we have managed to keep going as a proper traditional boozer.”
The collective support of the hospitality scene in Leeds also helps with getting through the difficult periods, he said.
“The night time economy in Leeds is great. There’s a lot of variety and a lot of collaboration.”
Looking forward, he said that he hopes to see some resolution to the removal of the collapsed building on Kirkgate, which has detracted some people from heading to this end of the city, and that people will continue showing love for their local boozers.