Pub’s Shoulder of Mutton name gets the chop to attract vegans
A PUB renovation usually involves throwing out some worn bar stools, applying a fresh lick of paint and a friendly landlady moving in.
But when the new owners of the Shoulder of Mutton pub wanted to entice fresh clientele – from vegans and vegetarians, to prospective married couples – the first thing that had to go was the name.
Recently renamed the Heworth Inn, the owners of the city centre pub in York said its original name, which it had for more than half a century, “isn’t perceived particularly well” among potential clients.
Danny Argent, one of the pub’s new owners, told The Daily Telegraph: “The main reason we have decided to change it from the Shoulder of Mutton is because we do want to become a wedding venue and we are applying for a licence for 2019.
“I am not being funny, but we have all heard the term ‘mutton dressed as lamb’. What bride or bride’s mother is going to want to arrange a wedding party at a venue called the Shoulder of Mutton? We would not get one booking, would we?”
The owners of the pub, which is two miles from York Castle, also said that the name change was based on a desire to attract more vegan and vegetarian diners.
They have created a new menu where a third of all the dishes are made without animal products. “We really want to do a decent quality selection of vegan and vegetarian and homecooked food,” Mr Argent said.
Regulars were not best pleased with the name change, with one writing on social media: “Tradition itself will soon be outlawed if these individuals are allowed to continue.”
Another added: “Shame something like the name of a traditional pub has to change just because somebody doesn’t agree with it.
“There’s a lot of things I don’t agree with but won’t get changed, so things like a name of a pub with a non-discriminatory name should be left alone.
“You don’t agree with the name of a pub, then don’t go in or take it over.”
Leah Stannard, the pub’s joint owner, defended the decision, saying that while she appreciated people’s concerns “when trying to market a business to a tourist hotel market, it has been shown that the name the Shoulder of Mutton isn’t perceived particularly well”.
She added: “Also, as we have a really keen focus on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, we think it is a tasteful, sympathetic and reasonable decision. We want to have an excellent vegetarian and vegan offering, so found the name slightly compromising of the idea.”
The pub has undergone recent renovations costing £50,000 and there are further plans to turn the upstairs into a “boutique hotel” in time for the spring 2019 wedding season.