The famous Groucho Club of London is set to launch its first private members club outside the capital, with plans to open in Yorkshire in 2026.
Groucho Bretton is located in Bretton Hall, the former residence of Bretton Hall College. Historically, the college was known for its role in training artists to become educators by offering courses in music, visual arts and performance art.
Notable alumni of the college spanned a range of artistic fields, including playwright John Godber, theater director Michael Fentiman, actor and director Mark Gatiss, and comedian Mark Thomas.
In 2001, the college merged with the University of Leeds, after which Wakefield Council bought the former school site.
The emergence of Groucho Bretton follows the acquisition of the original Groucho in London’s Soho by hospitality group Artfarm in 2022. For nearly four decades, the club has served as a central gathering place for the art, literary and media community.
Groucho Bretton is nestled in the vast 500-acre landscape of Wakefield’s Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). It has 40 bedrooms designed to welcome both members and non-members. Non-members staying at the facility can enjoy member benefits throughout their stay.
Elli Jafari, Groucho’s first female director, is leading the project. He will take up this role from his current position at the Standard Hotel in London next month.
Artfarm CEO Ewan Venters said: “This is possibly the most exciting venture in Groucho’s 39-year history. We’ve done pop-ups at literary and music festivals before, but this is the first time we’ve set up a permanent home outside London’s Soho.
“Groucho Bretton has a life of his own, separate from the original Groucho, but at the same time a uniquely eclectic style and personality rooted in both people and place.”
“The heritage of Bretton Hall is one of the factors that initially attracted us to this location and our plans respect those traditions while recreating its charm by creating contemporary spaces for our members, new and old, local or visiting, to play, meet, attend events and help us make Groucho Bretton a place where everyone feels at home.
“We want people to feel like they’re part of a family and a community, not just a members club.”
Artfarm’s expanding hospitality collection includes notable establishments such as the Fife Arms in Braemar, Roth Bar and Grill in Somerset, Manuela in Los Angeles and the recently launched Audley Public House and Mount St Restaurant and Rooms in London’s Mayfair.
Artfarm together with the Yorkshire real estate investor Rushbond Group and Wakefield Council have reached an agreement on cooperation in the development of the Bretton Hall area with the support of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP).