History of the Old Market Tavern
The
Old Market Tavern can trace its history back to the mid nineteenth century, when
a pub called the Bunch of Grapes opened on Old Market Street (one of two pubs
to bear that name within a few doors of each other!). The original pub occupied
only what is now the carpeted area i.e. the smaller part opposite the street
end of the current bar. The other (larger!) half of the building was occupied
by the Don Cafe, which, according to its own sign, specialised in Sausage and
Mash! 
By
1853, the pub had become known as The Old Market Street Porter House, and in
either that name or the Bunch of Grapes it continued trading right up to the
late 1970s. It changed hands several times during the epochs that followed,
including an auction sale at the Crown Inn at Mangotsfield in August 1859,
when the landlord was a John Griffith (beer retailer) and the property was
held by the Bristol Charity Trustees for the life of one J B Emerson esquire.
The rollcall of landlords who have held the reins at the Bunch of Grapes (aka
OMT) includes William Howell (1869-79), John Emery (1886-1889), Lewis Cluterbuck
(1890-1901), Alfred Taylor (1903-09), Walter and Jane Jay (1914-21), Lilly
and Albert Murley (1928-35) and Ernerst Shill (1935-53).
During
the lifetime of the old Bunch of Grapes, Old Market Street saw many, many changes.
The market which had given its name to the street had itself largely disappeared
by the early years of the twentieth century. But in the prewar days, Old Market
was still a very busy shopping area, as well as the transport hub for most
of East Bristol and beyond. During the second world war the trams disappeared
(it would be almost another 70 years before passengers would again board public
transport in the middle of Old Market Street).
A more devastating change came in the late 1960s when great swathes of Old
Market Street were pulled down to make way for the Temple Way dual carriageway
and roundabout. It's hard to imagine what a long important street Old Market
had been, stretching from the end of what is now Castle Park without any interruption
all the way to the Midland Hotel on the corner of West Street. By the early
70s the Evening Post building was starting to take shape, but Old Market Street
itself was in decline. All the great trading centres on the street and the
Central Methodist Hall closed their doors.
Bucking
the downward trend, the Old Market Tavern was born out of the old Bunch of
Grapes and the Don Cafe, when the two buildings were knocked into one in the
latter years of the decade. Arthur and Mary, the couple who took over as tenants
for Wadworth & Co following the refurbishment continued in residence for many
years. In 2000 Nick Young and Brian Webb took it on and began to encourage
a gay evening clientele whilst maintaining the pub's long-established lunchtime
trade. When Nick and Brian headed South to sunny Spain there was a short decline
in the fortunes of the OMT until in May 2005 Chris Farrell and Graham Middleton
took on the lease and started to rebuild the reputation and encourage loyal
customers back again. Since then traditional home-cooking has been watch-word
for lunchtimes and the OMT’s reputation for quality and value has been firmly
fixed.
Click on the pictures for a closer view.
