Kirkcaldy pub: doors re-open to The Steadings after 2019 closure

The Steadings on Bennochy Road is under new management and back in business after a refurbishment. The bar and restaurant was a go-to destination for many people before closing in 2019

New owner, Lauren Hutchison, welcomed her first customers on Friday afternoon, and is looking forward to re-establishing the Steadings’ good name.

The 25-year old has worked in the hospitality business since her early teens, and was previously at the helm of Alfie’s in the High Street, which breathed new life into the former Bar Itza.

Running her own bar was the next step, she said.

“I wanted to do something on my own,” said Lauren. “There were a few pubs on the market looked at and then when saw The Steadings and that was me - it felt fantastic. I don’t understand why it has been closed for so long.

Lauren knows the pub trade inside out: “I’ve always worked in hospitality since the age of 13. I started out washing dishes and then working behind the bar. I then became general manager at Society and then they made me licensee at Alfie’s, and built that from scratch. I also ran the Stag inn, Falkland for a while, which is a popular place.”

The Steadings was part of Kirkcaldy’s pub and restaurant scene for several decades, enjoying a good reputation. It changed hands in 2013 and again in 2017, before closing in 2019. Its return has caught the interest of many people, said Lauren.

“We had a lot of people dropping in when we were getting ready, asking about the place. Opening night was really good - there was a lot of reminiscing about the place, and people coming along to see inside, telling us they either drank here or worked here, which was fantastic. It’s a superb location with great passing trade.”

Currently, the bar is open with plans to start serving food in the next week or two, and then re-opening the function room.

“I want to make it a family oriented place with good food, and bring back the function room for all sort of events. I want the place to have a nice feel to it.”