The former home of Oakbrook Road micro pub, The Crafty One, was recently transformed into a cosy new micro bar serving up a carefully curated selection of craft ales, organic wines, spirits and cocktails.
After reopening in March under the old name, new owner Mac McGrath now feels he can finally call the place home, after changing its name to the quirky moniker, The Wonky Labrador.
Following the rebrand, we sat down with Mac, who talked candidly about his first few months at the helm, the meaning behind the name, and his struggles with mental health and how he hopes to incorporate mental well being into the bar’s schedule of events.
The Wonky Bar’s owner Mac McGrath
Mac took over the bar in January this year and quickly enlisted the help of friend and artist Harriet Lucy Designs, who created the fabulous murals that now adorn the previously bare walls.
As well as overhauling the look of the space, Mac paid careful attention to the drinks list, which now features five rotating taps, often including local breweries such as Grizzly Grains, SMOD and Abbeydale, as well as a range of gluten free beers – a market Mac is keen to cater for following a recent coeliac diagnosis.
Mac proudly states, ‘it’s not just about the beer,’ and as well as referring to the atmosphere in the place, that also translates to the drinks list as well, which includes the wines he loves, classic cocktails done right, and all your favourite spirits.
“We’re really blessed with the people and businesses that we’ve got around us and what we can get. I never set out to look to own a bar, but I think with my love of beer and my love of wine, it felt like the right move.
“It was really a blank canvas. It just felt like it needed a bit of personality. This is all a projection of me and the people around me – I just wanted to brighten it up and put my mark on it; to create a place where people can come and just relax. When tables start conversing between each other, I get the biggest buzz.
“I also want it to be affordable for people. We want people to not feel like they’re getting charged through the nose for this stuff. And it’s bloody good beer.
“The amount of positive feedback I’ve had has been superb. I said to my dad, ‘I should have done this years ago’, because I’m stood behind that bar, smiling like a fricking idiot half the time.”
Once the renovations were complete, Mac had planned to change the name of the bar further down the line, but his hand was forced when an Inlkeston-based micro pub called The Crafty One got in touch to explain the name was copyrighted. Mac immediately knew what he wanted it to change it to and commissioned Megan Littlewood to create a sign, that was then painted by Molly Jones. Last week, Broadfield Signs fitted the colourful new The Wonky Labrador sign.
But the question remains, why The Wonky Labrador?
Mac explains: “Growing up, my dad had four Labradors. One called Spanner, who had a neck so thick you couldn’t fit a lead on him, Jake and Thistle, who was a chocolate lab, and then we had Meg.
“She was the sweetest dog. She loved humans. You could be in the garden, at home in Lincolnshire, and she would come out to let you lay on her and be your pillow. She was attacked as a pup and that harrowing experience just made her a little bit wonky. She was The Wonky Labrador, and like my dad said, the only blonde that ever looked at him with such love and affection!
“Now the sign’s up with the name, I feel like I can fully take pride in the place.”
Despite being as newbie to the bar-owning game, Mac has plenty of experience, working in hospitality for the previous 18-years. For the majority of that time he worked for Whitbread, but he also enjoyed a stint in New Zealand, which combined with his Lincolnshire heritage, explains his less-than Yorkshire accent!
“New Zealand definitely had a big impact on me. I’ve got still a couple of friends who live over there, one’s even got his own craft beer bar in Nelson, where I was staying. The craft beer scene over there really kicked off about eight-years-ago and I really loved it.”
When Mac returned to the UK, he continued to work in hospitality, eventually ending up as assistant manager at The Furnace. At this time in his life, he was struggling with his mental health and felt like he was just ‘turning up for work’, rather than putting his all into it.
“Everything was going against me with the corporate hospitality mindset,” explains Mac; “I think I was just sick to the back teeth with it.
“My problem has always been not dealing with things. 15-years-ago, I lost my eldest brother and my youngest sister within 2-weeks of each other. My brother died of a brain tumour and my sister, who was training for her nursing finals in King Lynn, was really close with him. She was asthmatic and hours after my brother’s funeral she had an acute attack and her heart basically burst!
“I didn’t deal with it. I just made shitty, flippant comments! But it catches up with you down the line. I’m very honest now, whereas before I used to hide things. I’m in a lot better place than I was even a year ago, when I got let go by the furnace, quite rightly, because I wasn’t performing my duties. I needed that kick up the arse.
“I booked some time away, to try and rediscover what I loved doing, and I love conversing with people – and then this place came up. I want to share that experience and make that a big part of the bar, so we’ll be running mental health evenings every Monday, where people can come, relax and talk with like-minded people. It’s about breaking down boundaries slowly but surely.”
As well as the Mental Health evenings, Mac has also planned more traditional Meet the Brewer and Wine Tasting events. For more deets of events and the bar in general, head over to their socials here.
