The Clifden landlord Will Young spoke about his time running another beloved city pub
The former landlord at The Woodman likened its closure to a divorce(Image: Robson McCallister/BirminghamLive )
When The Woodman pub closed its doors in 2022, ex-landlord Will Young lost his home, his team and even his cat.
Fast forward three years and The Woodman is back. And so is Will, running another reopened pub, The Clifden.
A number of factors influenced the decision to close the pub on Curzon Street, but perhaps none more than the arrival of HS2 works.
Read More: ‘A genuine gem’ – What reviewers had to say about ‘the best pub in Birmingham’
Speaking to BirminghamLive, Will opened up about his time at The Woodman and likened it to ‘a divorce’.
He said: “I was there for five years and they were the best five years of my life.
Will Young said his time at The Woodman was ‘the best five years of my life'(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)
“Me and the team turned the pub around and I was really proud of that.
“Unfortunately, the combination of getting through Covid, energy prices and HS2 completely strangled us.
“I’m not married, but I had a friend who was going through a divorce at the time and we were both sharing experiences.
“This isn’t being dramatic but The Woodman closing felt like a divorce.
“I lived there with my cat Chip, so I ended up losing my home, my cat and my team.
“I moved back in with my mother and stepfather and he walks dogs for a living so the cat was unable to move in.
“Closing that was one of the saddest and traumatic things I have ever done, it sounds dramatic but it’s true.
“Chip was a big character and a big part of the pub. He did move in with my friend and ended up in a happy home.
“I thought about getting out of the trade and trying something new after that.
“But at the back of my mind I sort of knew that this is my trade.”
BirminghamLive visited The Woodman after it reopened and praised Union Inns for retaining its ‘stunning’ identity. Click here for our review on The Woodman.
Alternatively, you can click here for more information on Will’s new home, The Clifden.