Joe and Daniel Schofield have begun the process of rolling out the Schofield's Bar brand, with plans afoot for a sequel venue in London, CLASS can exclusively reveal.
Schofield’s Bar in Manchester launched in 2021 and currently holds the title of the UK’s Best Bar, a title it won at consecutive editions of the CLASS Bar Awards (2022 and 2023).
The brothers have long-harboured ambitions to expand the brand, taking it to “major cities around Europe and further afield”.
Daniel Schofield exclusively told CLASS: “We feel that now is the right time. We are incredibly happy with how Schofield’s Bar Manchester has been received and has traded since opening, and we look forward to bringing that to the capital.”
The pair are now looking at sites in central London - with West End locations such as Soho under consideration – and are prioritising stand-out, period properties.
Joe Schofield said: “Finding a site as beautiful and iconic as Sunlight House in Manchester may be a challenge, but opening our first venue and having such a defined vision of what we wanted, taught us to be patient.
“We aren't going to rush into opening this, as we aren't willing to compromise or shoehorn our brand into a venue that doesn't make sense. In terms of aesthetics, it will be the same, lots of dark woods and dark blues, with elements of the teal in our branding, which we dub ‘Schofield’s Bar green' dotted throughout.
“You will walk into the new site, and feel like it's part of the same family as Schofield’s Manchester - this is important to us.”
Daniel Schofield plans to head up the new opening, moving to London for the first nine months of the launch, thereafter splitting his time between venues, which also include Atomeca and Sterling. Joe Schofield, meanwhile, aims to spend most of his time heading up the Manchester-based operations.
The new team will likely comprise local London bartenders and those already part of the brothers’ wider group.
Daniel Schofield added: “In an ideal world, we would hope that one or two of our existing employees will apply, and we can have a conversation with them about that.
“Career development and progression is a hugely important thing for our business, and what better to open a venue, with people who already fundamentally understand who you are, and what you are looking to achieve.”