Then & Now
The Cooper Kitchen and bar building was originally built in 1872. The property was originally part of the adjoining building (now The Heist bar) and was owned by the famous Mr Cooper Kitchen.
Born in Halifax in 1852, Cooper was a well known Iron monger, mill furnisher and bicycle manufacturer of Elland.
Son of George Kitchen, he married Susan Nowell at the Halifax Parish Church in 1857.
He was confined to a wheelchairfor the last 27 years of his life.
The business occupied what was called Moorgate Chambers at the junction of Southgate and Coronation Street, Elland. Throughout his time, Cooper produced around ten different models of Penny-Farthing, Tricycles and bicycles.
In 1888, Cooper produced the popular Elland Anti-Vibration Safety Bicycle and earlier in 1885 he produced the Moorgate Dwarf Roadster No.5. This featured an early bicycle gear system.
A copy of the Moorgate was commissioned by Rhodes Joinery & Building Services in 2021 and is now on display behind the bar in Cooper Kitchen and bar.
In more recent years, many people will remember the property as the Cooper Kitchen Hardware shop where you could get anything from a tin of paint or cookware to tools or a few nails. Owned by David Jessop, the shop was a mainstay of Elland for many years.
Cooper Kitchen Hardware finally shut its doors in 2019 and the building was purchased by Rhodes Joinery & Building Services.
Having already purchased Unit 2 The Wheatsheaf on Briggate, Elland in 2018 and refurbished the property completely into the company’s new offices we could see the potential that Elland still has and wanted to give back.
The aim was to refurbish the Cooper Kitchen Hardware shop into a bar and kitchen that would be a welcoming place to relax with a coffee or a beer.
However, in 2020, the Covid pandemic hit businesses hard and so after careful reassessment we decided to complete the Coopers refurbishment at a slower pace and in the meantime reinvest into another venture that became the successful Roots Wholefoods on Southgate, Elland.
Now run by Paul (Eddie) and Kim Edwards
In December of 2021 Coopers Bar & Kitchen finally opened.
Much of the original property has been kept. Walls were stripped back to the original brickwork and sandblasted. The bar itself and the tables were hand made by our joiners at Rhodes Joinery & Building Services.
We also have TV screens playing a constant loop of thousands of photographs of local people and the area from over the years.
A talented artist, Richard Everett was also commissioned to hand paint a wall mural consisting of numerous local and historical photographs.
And of course, our replica of the Moorgate bicycle takes pride of place on show behind the bar.
Welcome to Coopers……
