Bid to revive Dewsbury restaurant scene
A Dewsbury pub is leading a drive to revive the restaurant scene in the town by bringing the restaurants into the premises.
The West Riding at Dewsbury Train Station has launched what it’s calling a Pop-up ‘Westaurant’ programme - a series of collaboration events where local food and drink providers take over the venues's kitchen and create their own restaurant experience in the pub.
First up in the Pop-up Westaurant series is a wine and cheese pairing event on Wednesday April 29.
Michelle from The Last Drop will be taking attendees through six different wines and pairing each of them with the perfect cheese accompaniment.
On May 11, Scran & Sup will serve up vintage afternoon tea, which will not only feature a range of home baked treats but also a Motown soundtrack.
West Africa meets the West Riding on May 27 when Delice D’Ivoire brings their African soul food to Dewsbury.
And there will be a continental vibe on June 24 when private chef, Adam Rasburn of Wild Infused Vinegar, sill serve up tastes from the Med.
The series is deliberately varied and is designed to emulate a bustling restaurant scene that could be found in a town or city from different specialist providers.
The Pop-up Westaurant at the West Riding is Beerhouses MD Sarah Barnes’ idea to bring different styles of restaurant experiences to Dewsbury.
“We would love to be part of a busy pub and restaurant scene in Dewsbury, but times are difficult for the hospitality industry and Dewsbury has, sadly, lost many great venues over the years," she said.
"This series is not only designed to bring restaurants back to the town – one event at a time – but to show potential providers that there is still a demand for great food and drink experiences here. It could even be a baby step towards reviving the hospitality scene in the town.”
Details about all the events, including new ones as they’re added to the programme, are listed on the West Riding’s Facebook page and all require pre-booking.
Any food providers who would like to bring their cuisine to the Pop-up Westaurant at the West Riding should contact Barry Shaw at [email protected]
The West Riding is Heavy Woollen CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2026.