£130k to be spent on ‘breathing new life into’ Preston dockside pub

The hostelry, which celebrated its 30th birthday last summer, is planning a new look and a new menu to bring it bang up to date.

Martson's Brewery, which owns the Ribble Pilot, says it will close down on Monday February 27 and re-open with a flourish on Sunday March 12.

"We are so excited to announce that The Ribble Pilot will be receiving a refresh," said general manager Martin Cavanagh. "We have invested over £130k into breathing new life into The Ribble Pilot.

"Our pub is the perfect location for a pit-stop on a visit to the Preston Docks and Marina and is much loved by its regulars. We can't wait to welcome everybody back."

The Ribble Pilot opened in 1992 at a cost of £1.2m. It was one of two new pubs opened in Preston that year by Banks's Brewery - the Guild Merchant in Ingol was the other.

The dog-friendly Ribble Pilot was launched as a Premier Pint and Platter pub on the north side of the city's dock basin. It boasts waterfront views of the marina and has a large beer garden.

Marston’s say the new-look pub will have "a varied menu of pub favourites . . . and classic lagers on draught, cask ales and a variety of cocktails and G&Ts."

The brewery said: "The refresh will also see tables added to the pub’s grown-up bar area. The new look is set to elevate the pub’s interior to suit all occasions, from ‘casual lunches to special celebrations’."