The new owner of the Old King’s Highway pub on The Green is betting the future of his business on the success of the new Aberdeen market.
John Wemyss is managing director of Blinding Pub Group, and recently took the keys of one the Granite City’s most historic pubs.
He has big plans for the venue, which he hopes will come to take “centre stage” as The Green develops.
Work has now started to transform the premises into an “antique bar with a modern twist”.
John hopes the efforts will attract punters in their droves once construction work has completed on the new market, dubbed Flint.
The 45-year-old is also the proprietor of the nearby Market Arms and with his staff has been hard at work since March 26 to transform the Old King’s Highway.
So what will be on offer at the Old King’s Highway?
Slated for an opening in time for May Day, an upstairs events space, a dedicated party bus and “spooky-themed tours of the pub” are amongst his ideas to make it a success.
The pub, the oldest in the city, is also reputed to be one of Aberdeen’s most haunted.
Blinding Pub Group is even hoping to get permission to build an outdoor beer garden, once construction work on the market is complete.
Ongoing construction work on The Green, as well as Market and Union Street, makes trading conditions “challenging”.
But John is hoping that Aberdeen City Council “have got it right” with their city centre and beach masterplan.
Old King’s Highway boss: ‘We hope the council have gotten this right’
Even if they haven’t, he told The Press and Journal he is determined to make the bar a success.
John said: “The reason we have taken this on is because we hope that when the market is busy this area will be the main centre-stage for Aberdeen.
“We have taken this on with a long-term view in mind in the hope that the council has gotten this right.”
Operations manager Micha Daniel agrees, saying: “We think once the market is complete, then the footfall will be coming back to The Green.”
We believe in the city
Speaking at the bar, John told The Press and Journal he “believes in Aberdeen” despite disquiet around the large scale construction works in the city.
He continued: “There is a lot of negativity going about, and sometimes it is from us.
“The state of the road around Market Street has resulted in a loss of footfall and business.
“But we believe in Aberdeen.
“We want to give that premium hospitality experience to customers, and a safe place to come.
“Hopefully in the future the council will also give us permission for an outdoor beer garden.”
He added: “The way we see hospitality going, even if the footfall isn’t there, we can bring it to us with the function suite and the party bus.
“The venue is going to offer the customer everything.”
How is progress on the Aberdeen market going?
The Press and Journal recently published new drone pictures that detail the progress of the new Aberdeen market.
Dubbed “the biggest transformation of the city centre in 200 years,” Union Street, The Green and the beach are all to receive a facelift.
The new food and drink market, named Flint, will also be surrounded by a new look section of Union Street which which will have an entrance to the market as well as a fully pedestrianised street complete with bike lanes.
The stretch between Market Street and the St Nicholas kirkyard on Union Street will be the first to be done up – as workers attempt to finish it by spring 2026.
Drone images of all the city centre works, taken by our photographer Kenny Elrick, are available to see here.
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