These are the Lancashire pubs set for revamp after operator launches £3.5m investment programme

Heineken UK said it was raising the bar for the great British pub, pumping £42m into upgrading locals around the country in its Star Pubs and Bars’ estate this year.

Lancashire pubs are set to benefit with a £3.5m investment from the company earmarked for projects this year and a further £550,000 from pub operators.

The company said that the move came after two long-term trends that have been amplified by the pandemic – pubgoers’ increasing demand for quality and for outdoor socialising.

It said new research revealed that, since the pandemic, more than 50 per cent of pubgoers were treating themselves to better quality food and drink than they did pre-Covid, while a nice outdoor seating area has become

more important to eight out of ten.

It said pubs earmarked for major makeovers will be given a quality look and feel to deliver the premium experience customers want. Kitchen refits and new bars will enable them to keep up with pubgoers’ higher expectations for food and drink.

The Shrimper in Southport opened in March as The Marsh Harrier after a £170,000 makeover, The Farmer’s Arms in Burscough opened in April following a £391,000 contribution by Star to the £500,000 project and The White Horse in Edgworth had a £384,000 investment.

Others earmarked for investment include Dunkirk Hall, Leyland; The Thatch and Thistle, Southport; Feildens Arms, Mellor Brook; and the Top Lock at Wheelton.

It added that the Bayley Arms, Hurst Green; Bretherton Arms, Chorley and the Pleasant Retreat at Lostock Hall would all be refurbished subject to recruiting new operators.

Lawson Mountstevens, managing director, Star Pubs and Bars, said: “People have stayed closer to home over the last two years due to the pandemic and turned to their local for the kind of experience they’d previously have travelled to a city centre, restaurant or bar to find.

"They don’t want to turn back time: they expect better quality including food and specialty drinks – such as cocktails – that are harder to recreate at home.

"It’s the same with gardens. Sitting outside at the pub has become a new occasion and, if the outside space is good enough, customers will wrap up to enjoy it even in the winter months.

"Outdoor facilities also remain important for those who are still cautious about going out as the UK learns to live with Covid.

“The cost-of-living squeeze on wallets is magnifying these trends. People are looking for a really great experience when they go out. These are challenging times. However, we are confident that well invested pubs that adapt to market changes will have a bright, long-term future.”