The Maltings pub in York – proudly referred to as the ‘strictest’ pub in the UK – is known for its many, many rules. These include no singing, no television, no music, no stag parties or hen dos, no fancy dress and, perhaps most surprising, no swearing. The pub doesn’t have a TV, music or a wine list. But the atmosphere that remains is, well, relaxed. It’s a throwback to the lovely, slow, quiet pubs of old.
But now, after 31 years of thriving business, The Maltings is closing. The pub has been put on the market for £1.5 million.
Announcing the closure, landlord Shaun Collinge tweeted: ‘It’s with a heavy heart but after 31 years it’s time to let somebody else with a bit more energy and enthusiasm take the reins.’
He told the Guardian: ‘One of the nicest things anyone has said to me is telling me how good it was to come into a pub on a Saturday night and they didn’t have to worry about their own safety. To this day that is one of the most flattering things anyone has said. It is what we wanted to achieve.’
But the pandemic changed things. According to Collinge, maintaining the many rules has become harder and harder in a post-pandemic world. He said: ‘Things have changed. People don’t appear to have the same manners, respect… patience. A lot of people seem to have a sense of entitlement and it is usually people from out of town.’
York is a busy city, with many groups booking mini staycations, or crowding in from neighbouring towns to enjoy the nightlife. At weekends, parties flock from the train station down towards the centre. Many try and fail to gain entry to The Maltings.
In other words, this might be the end of The Maltings as we know it. We popped down for a last look.
Of the new owners, Collinge told the Guardian: ‘If someone came in and wanted to continue our legacy then that would be very flattering.’
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