​Cigarettes and alcohol: MEATliquor recreates working men’s club

‘The idea behind all of our MEATliqour projects is to find a story that needs to be told,’ Mark Graham, co-founder and creative director of ilovedust, tells LS:N Global. ‘With the Leeds site it was a little harder as the site was a new build, so along with the guys at Meat and Shed we decided to create a homage to the dying breed of working men’s clubs with a dash of Northern Soul for good measure. It’s easy to forget at times that the north is so rich in heritage and nostalgia.’

To achieve a dated, working men’s club aesthetic, the dimly lit bar and restaurant is decorated with vintage chairs upholstered in red velour and black leatherette, timber panelled walls boast retro club posters, and surfaces have been coated with a nicotine yellow wash – something that can no longer be naturally achieved in post-smoking ban Britain.

In the age of female empowerment, male consumers are yearning for spaces where they can reconnect with their masculinity. For more on how brands are rebranding their spaces to facilitate this need, read our Oxford Tavern Seed.