New restaurant and bar set to open in Penwortham before Christmas

Father-of-three Wayne Bretherton from Grimsargh is opening Craft and Crust in a newly-formed unit inside what was the former Booths supermarket building in Liverpool Road.

The 37-year-old, who has previous experience in start-up restaurants across the North West, said he had driven passed the site for three years taking eldest son Jack to Hutton Grammar School, and has been interested in the site's potential.

He said: "I'd looked at Penwortham and loved the place, it has the feel of somewhere that's developing. It had a Lytham, Alderley Edge or Knutsford feel to it.

"I saw potential here over other places locally. It's not too big either - it's bigger than a village but it still has a close-knit feel.

"I rang the number on the window thinking it would probably have already gone, but it hadn't. It was the perfect fit for what we wanted to do."

1260 Craft and Crust - named after the year Penwortham's name was settled on and reflecting the nature of food and drink available - will focus on a social, relaxed atmosphere, "a place where friends can meet and have a great time".

The decor will have timber and steel industrial theme, with booth seating and a bench table down the middle.

There will be four screens showing a variety of sport and music, and in a snug at the rear of the restaurant. Wayne hopes to show children's films during early evening services to attract families through the door. On other occasions he hopes to offer the snug for private parties.

The bar will carry a range of craft beers and ales as well as wines, proseccos and gins. There will also be an open kitchen with pizza oven, producing gourmet pizzas at first, with the menu set to diversify in the New Year.

Wayne hopes the restaurant will be open in early December, with up to 10 jobs created.

He said: "The people of Penwortham are coming by to have a look at what's going on and they're commenting on forums about how Penwortham is developing.

"It's an exciting time and with the bypass opening at around the same time, I think it will help the area as well.

"It will make it better for all the businesses. It will make the area more about the people of Penwortham, rather than being a rat-run.

"Penwortham itself is a destination location."

One of several new bars and eateries opening in Liverpool Road, Wayne is not worried about competition, saying: "Looking at bars in the likes of Alderley Edge and they don't see each other as competition, they're in an agglomeration - working together in a cluster, each supporting one another."

In a nod to the surroundings, Wayne has commissioned four amateur photographers from Penwortham to each create a selection of photos for walls inside the restaurant, looking at historical photos of Penwortham compared to how they look in the present day.

He said: "We want people to walk in and know they're in Penwortham and feel part of the town."