Tuppen rejects Mulholland's view
Enterprise Inns has rejected a claim by MP Greg Mulholland that it should sell the freehold of the Black Horse in Otley to give it a chance of a successful future.
Mulholland described the conversion of the site into O'Malley's Irish bar as "an act of desperation".
The company has written to Mulholland to report that the pub has been let to the "very successful" Pontefract-based Barracks Inns, whose managing director Tony Sambridge has "great plans for the site".
The pub is currently being managed by Chris Mallows who previously ran the Station in Ilkley.
Chief executive Ted Tuppen told Mulholland: "Mr Sambridge and Mr Mallows approached us with their plans for an Irish-themed concept, which extends far beyond your rather disparaging assumptions, and we have taken this opportunity to help test the concept.
"There is no similar retail proposition in the locality and you will appreciate the need to differentiate the offer for this site, particularly given the history of trading difficulties in Otley and with the recent opening of JD Wetherspoon."
Tuppen dismissed the suggestion that an Irish bar was "odd", "bizarre" or inappropriate, as Mulholland has claimed. He added: "Mr Mallows' wife is Irish and she and her family are extremely proud of her roots.
"They have provided a significant quantity of memorabilia and bric-a-brac to O'Malley's to help demonstrate the provenance and pedigree of the concept.
"All early indications are that their ideas are proving popular with the locals in Otley and only last week the pub had its best week of trading for a very long time."
Tuppen repeated his invitation to Mulholland to spend a day with the local Enterprise operations team.
