A York beer entrepreneur’s plan for a new pub on the spot where Guy Fawkes’ parents are said to have lived when he was born has taken a big step forward.

Pivovar and Thornbridge Brewery are to open a new bar called Fawkes and The Tiger in the old Cath Kidston shop in Stonegate, which has been empty for more than two years.

A plaque on the building states Edward Fawkes and Edith Jackson were living on Stonegate at the time of the future gunpowder plotter’s birth in 1570.

Pivovar owner Jamie Hawksworth already operates Pivni, York Tap and Pavement Vaults in the city – and runs The Market Cat jointly with close collaborators Thornbridge.

He applied to City of York Council for an alcohol licence, which was granted by councillors at a licensing hearing on Monday.

The new 210-seat bar’s alcohol licence will run from 8am till midnight every day and food will be served from noon to 9pm, but Mr Hawksworth said in practice the pub would be unlikely to open before 11am.

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Fawkes And The Tiger will operate in the city centre ‘cumulative impact zone’, an area where the number of licensed premises and associated noise, crime and disorder adversely affect residents, visitors and other businesses.

North Yorkshire Police had asked that the venue be food-led, with food offered until 10pm, to try to counteract this.

But Mr Hawksworth and his representative Piers Warne explained that the costs of running a hospitality business were rising and having a kitchen open longer than necessary would make life harder for the pub.

“We don’t set out to attract the lowest common denominator,” Mr Hawskworth said.

“Our drinks prices aren’t cheap – we go for quality and lower quantities, rather than high volume.”

Mr Warne said Mr Hawksworth was an “exceptional operator with an impeccable record.”

He added: “This is a very grown up offer – like The Market Cat.

"We want customers to act like grown ups.

"If they want to be able to stand and chat while having a drink then good for them, but there will be plenty of seats for everyone.”

The cumulative impact zone is split into three areas – red, amber and green – which relates to the number of licensed premises and the incidences of crime and disorder.

Despite the Fawkes and The Tiger being in the green area, police licensing officer for York Kim Hollis argued that the venue should be predominantly food-led to fit in with the council’s licensing policies.

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