The Grapes is a Mathew Street institution
Karen Strickland from The Grapes(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“Locals have drunk here for years but no matter where I go on holiday, everyone seems to know The Grapes”, says Karen Strickland. Karen has been the manager of the famous Mathew Street pub for five years and loves being a part of such an iconic venue.
The 69-year-old, originally from Kirkby, has worked in the hospitality trade her entire working life, beginning in restaurants and moving onto pubs. She had previously worked at The Queens Arms in Aintree but jumped at the chance to move to The Grapes when owners Blind Tiger Inns looked for a new manager.
About what makes the pub special, she told the ECHO: “We get people who say ‘oh my mum and dad met here years ago’. There’s always someone who met someone. It’s like the little Grafton.”
The pub’s fame owes a lot to The Beatles, who would drop in for a pint between shows at the nearby Cavern Club. A photo of the band taken in 1961 sits above the spot they sat in.
The Grapes on Mathew Street(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
A sign next to it reads: “This photo of The Beatles was taken in this exact spot in 1961! The original Cavern Club was located opposite and The Beatles would often frequent The Grapes before and after their gigs and sit at this very bench. Note, this was the original Beatles with Pete Best, not Ringo!
“In the early sixties The Grapes was the only pub in Mathew Street. It is also famed with being the place where the Cavern Club owner, Alan Sytner, was inspired to open a Parisian style cellar bar. Upon leaving The Grapes he spotted the Cavern Club cellar for sale and bought it. The rest is history.”
About that, Karen said as she pointed at the picture: “It’s an amazing pub – it’s the only pub on the street that The Beatles drank in. Here’s a picture above where they sat and had a couple of pints. In The Cavern they only sold soft drinks, so they used to come here for a quick pint between shows.”
But it is not just The Beatles connection which gets drinkers through the door. The pub, which stays open until 2am in the week and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, is incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike. It is no longer the only pub on Mathew Street but remains among the bustling street’s most popular.
The Grapes on Mathew Street(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Karen explained: “A lot of Scousers come here but we get a hell of a lot of tourists. What I love at this time of year is that we have a load of hens and stags and it’s just brilliant. I do put on lovely entertainment at the weekend, which they all love, they all end up staying.
“It’s amazing being part of Mathew Street. I love it, especially when the weekend comes and I go out shopping and then walk into the street, you just can’t beat it. It’s just electric, it really is. It’s amazing.
“We’re busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s a beautiful walk around. I love the business of it, I get to know the regulars well. I’ll sit down and play cards with them, play dominoes – we’re old school, you see.
“It’s lovely when it shifts from the day to the evening, though. You can see it, the way it transforms is lovely. Like it’s supposed to happen.”
Asked what makes The Grapes, which is found in a building that dates back to 1804, such a popular venue, Karen said: “A lot of people still like the pub rather than going to a club.
“I communicate a lot with the customers. We get involved with them, we’re always on hand. We’ll be dancing with them, singing with them, sitting down and chatting away with them. No matter who they are or what they are.”
The Grapes is found at 25 Mathew St, Liverpool L2 6RE