Excitement as pub reopens after takeover

The Midge Hall pub has been bought by Green Crab Pub company, which already has The Ram’s Head in Longton, The Village Inn in Tarleton, and The Dolphin in Longton.

After what owners describe as a “substantial” investment, with a full refurbishment, the Midge Hall reopened to the public on Thursday.e.

A spokesman for Green Crab said: “It’s a really exciting time for us. Although it was tired before, we could see there was huge potential in the place.

“Since the end of March we’ve been in with builders gutted the place, it’s a totally different building inside.

“Although it’s the same from the outside, there’s a much more modern and bright feeling inside. It still has it’s rustic edge and we’ve been keen to respect the local custom and their needs.”

Due to the location, management aimed to provide a “one-stop” service for customers, and changes have also been made to the beer garden .

The spokesman added: “We tend to drive from the food side of things, but we recognise the audience at the local level and so didn’t want to alienate anyone.

“At the back there is an elevated terrace that was typically only used as a smoking area. We’ve put a pergoda over it, lit it, and made it an extra entity where people can also dine if they like.”

The takeover will see 20 to 25 jobs created. In the first instance two staff from the company’s other pubs have been brought in for consistency.