Win-win for lovers of all things gin

Plau Bar, in Friargate, is ‘working quietly behind the scenes on finishing touches’ ahead of its grand opening.

The craft gin and beer house is taking shape in what used to be the Plough Inn a popular city pub dating back to the late 1700s.

Delays have stalled the bar’s grand opening, with Christmas 2017 previously reported as the estimated opening time.

As of this month no date is set for when the doors will open to the public, with Plau confirming this via social media.

The overall renovation of the building is intended to “expose, highlight and preserve the buildings many historic features re-establishing itself to its original use and re-situating itself in its historical context of Friargate”.

In the original plans to Preston Council to transform the site – which has also been home to the Hotel National in the late 1800s and watchmaker George Klieve in the 1960s – included additional space for a restaurant and accompanying commercial kitchen.

The new bar comes after the inaugural Plungington Gin Festival (pictured with bar manager Alex Riley) which was presented by Plau in August 2017.

The festival ran for three days at The Plungington Hotel in Lytham Road, Fulwood, attracting over 1,400 visitors as they sampled the selection of 105 gins on offer, including local tipple Cuckoo Gin from Brindle.