A one-of-a-kind jungle bar in the heart of Grimsby is undergoing an exciting expansion, with plans for a Rodeo Bull, axe throwing and even ‘I’m a Celebrity’ style bushtucker trials.
Jungle Smash opened on Bethlehem Street in June last year following an extensive renovation by couple Kelly Jackson and Karl Linturn, in a building that had been vacant since the 1990s.
Following the recent closure of the longstanding Othello restaurant upstairs, Kelly and Karl have thrown themselves into a second renovation. On the ground floor, the original bottle throwing range has been removed to make space for a Rodeo Bull and an axe throwing and gel pellet shooting range.
Making use of the now-vacant second storey with its rich history as a restaurant since the 1970s, the couple have employed a chef who is creating a menu entirely in keeping with the bar’s unique theme.
Speaking to Grimsby Live about their plans, Kelly and Karl said: “Upstairs we’ll be keeping the kitchen – we’ve employed a fantastic chef who’s creating an exciting menu in keeping with the theme. We’re also looking at doing exotic meat sharing platters for people to try new things and ‘I’m a Celebrity’ style bushtucker trials for those brave enough.
The renovation of Jungle Smash is underway
(Image: Jungle Smash)
“We’ll still be promoting Luda Brewing Co., Lilley’s Cider, and Hawkstone, but upstairs we’ll have a cocktail bar. Our brilliant barman Dan has been working on a cocktail menu which includes all the classics but with a twist, and some we’ve created ourselves. All of our cocktails will be O’Donnell’s Moonshine based.”
The third floor of the establishment is set to be transformed into a fusion between a sports bar and old-school gaming den, with sporting events and nostalgic game nights planned.
There are also plans to bring in an interactive darts board, a basketball hoop and other games for customers to enjoy – as well as more open mic nights and live music.
There will be lots more additions to the Jungle Smash bar in Grimsby
(Image: Jungle Smash)
They continued: “We’re going to continue our open mic nights, which have been incredibly popular and well supported. Off the back of these nights, we’ve met some amazing local talent that have then had their own events so this is definitely something we want to continue to promote this year. We’ve also just booked Oasis and Pink Floyd tribute bands for later this year.
“We had an amazing time at Halloween with our fabulous snake and “block head” performer and drag queen, so we’ll be doing more events like that moving forward.
“We try to offer something completely different to what we usually see on a night out.”