A new European-style beer café has opened in Worcester city centre to plenty of praise from patrons.
Pump Street Social opened in 7 Pump Street on Friday (April 3) after a month-long renovation.
Owner Mathew Pugh decided to close Hop Lords earlier this year and quickly morphed the former bottle shop into the unique café, which offers several beers on draught from different European countries..
He said: “As a bottle shop, it was more retail-focused, and I just thought that, after eight years, it needed a change.
“I’ve always like the idea of a European-style beer café and that’s the area I wanted to go into.
“We’ll sell more continental‑style beers on tap; we’ve got a Czech, a Spanish, a Belgian, a German, but we still offer the off-licence element.
“There’s over 100 beers in the fridge where people can still come and get a take-out beer.”
Pump Street Social launched on Good Friday, and has experienced a very successful opening week.
Mr Pugh said: “The sun has been shining and it was Easter, so we had a really good, busy bank holiday weekend.
“It was probably a little bit busier than I expected it to be. Everybody has told us how much they love the way it looks now.”
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Pump Street Social is partnered with Pizza Freaks, a restaurant above the café, which has been serving sandwiches and snacks to customers since opening.
Clint Webbe, owner of Pizza Freaks, said: “Everyone is really loving it. I have sold a bit of everything since opening.
“Seeing someone with a slice of pizza and a cocktail, and their friend with a pot of crisps and beer, shows how it all just works really well together.
Mr Webbe also teased some plans to hold special evenings in Pump Street Social in the coming months.
He said: “We are thinking of doing some small plates occasionally downstairs, which would turn it into a little bit of a restaurant once a month or every two weeks
“I have no specific plans right now, but it is just something really cool that we could use the downstairs space for.”
