“Long term, we want to go to the top – like the name Pinnacle….”
Pinnacle Darts opened its doors on 5th April to the people of Ossett – approximately ten miles south of Leeds, for those not overly familiar with northern UK geography.
Boasting a comprehensive selection of darts, accessories and equipment, the enterprise was launched by two local men named Craig – Brierley and Whincup – who became close friends through their shared love of the game.
If you fancy having a chuck and testing out your arrows before you buy, great news: the venue also features state-of-the-art dart lanes which you can hire by the hour. The offer even comes complete with advanced scoring systems.
Darts World roving reporter Anthony Urmston-Toft – who, with a posh name like that, should probably be covering tea parties at Buckingham Palace – was instead sent to West Yorkshire to find out more about this budding new darting hotspot.
First up, Anthony grabbed a quick chat with co-owner Craig Brierley to see how things have been going since opening day.
“Great, it’s been really busy today. The annual Ossett Beer Festival going on right now so the town is busy. We’ve been open eight weeks now and the reaction and support from all over the country has been unbelievable. People are coming in and actively playing games of 501 – we’ve had two separate families from Kent, people from Scotland and Wales – even a chap over here who saw us advertised in America and was stoked to be here.”
An idea that didn’t happen overnight had been quietly fermenting in the Craigs’ minds.
“We met six years ago through COVID and soon discovered we both love our darts. Through the pandemic, I had a man cave and we played loads. Then we started talking, then wondered if we could make this happen. Once we saw the games trajectory growing we began to put ideas in place so the shop has been a good 12 to 18 months in the making.”
But the passion for arrows goes back a lot further, as Craig continues to explain:
“I’ve loved darts since I was a very young boy – I’m 35 now, but since the mid-90s. My dad was a huge darts fan, so I fell in love with it. Back then, there were so many interesting characters. My earliest memories were Peter Evison, the hype around him. Then of course Keith Deller and Rod Harrington who, with his tie, always looked like he’d just come from a wedding. And who can forget the most iconic comms from Sid Waddell? I was so drawn in – and of course, The Power, Phil Taylor, who was destroying everybody. But I always wanted to see him get beat as I love the underdogs.”
Thankfully, the local public – and many who’ve made the journey – have taken the shop into their hearts. And it looks like Craig B already has an heir lined up for the eventual empire.
“My son Oscar just turned 14 and is hugely passionate, so that ignited it in me. We decided on branding and a name – which seemed to take forever to come up with. We really thought about how we want to do this, designing the shop and what we have is a place where anyone can try and get into darts – that’s a big thing, a huge motivation. People waste money online – we give our customers the time to try them out and have two designated Target ‘Try Before You Buy’ lanes – only £12 for two players for the hour – well 55 minutes, to allow for changeover.”
Local talent has also chipped in and kindly offered their assistance, with the shop gearing up for a huge focus on youth and junior-level darts – paving the way for the next generation of budding superstars.
“We’ve now got a darts coach – rising star Charlie Manby. His recent exploits and whopping average put him on the map and he’s been popping in and doing some one-on-ones. We put out a post on Facebook for coaching interest and had loads of replies. People who he has worked with want to rebook with him.
Now we are looking to do youth and junior coaching at the end of June with Charlie who’s looking to get his PDPA accreditation. There’s so many exciting young kids, and some of the girls we’ve seen in here have been incredible. What’s happening late June and early July is youth and junior group sessions which I am hugely excited about.”
Anthony also caught up with a friendly elderly gentleman called Peter, who spends most of his days happily setting up camp in the new shop.
“I play every day – I think this is the best thing that has happened for Ossett, without a doubt. When it was first advertised as being a darts shop, I said, that’s gonna go well – and look at it now. Sometimes they make me a coffee – absolutely brilliant, and I love the staff.”
And a business is nothing without its customers. Anthony chatted with happy shopper Chris, who took a short trip north with his son Jack:
“Basically, we looked for a darts shop online and found this place. We came from Leeds looking for a new set of darts – the staff spent a good 15 to 20 minutes with us, giving us plenty of time to select a good set. We had a £60 budget, but they didn’t try to sell us something overpriced. They wanted the weight and feel to be right – eventually, they ended up selling us something for £39.99. I would 100% recommend the experience.”
As for what lies ahead – well, we left the final word to one of the men behind the concept, Craig B, to tell us what’s next:
“Long term, we want to go to the top – like the name Pinnacle. Our plan is to secure more locations but only when the time is right. The website should be functional by the end of June, fingers crossed. But all in all, the reception’s been astounding, and we are very grateful.”
So, if you’re in the Yorkshire area and feel compelled to buy a new set of darts – or even have a chuck on a state-of-the-art lane with your own – pop into Pinnacle Darts in Ossett, where you’re guaranteed a huge selection, maybe a brew and a very warm welcome.
——ENDS—–
If you are based further afield and cant quite manage the journey undertaken by out American cousin perhaps visit their online store here: pinnacledarts.co.uk
Images: Pinnacle Darts
