'Everything happens for a reason' - team behind Penwortham bar issue statement over Artisan Deli takeover
The team behind one of Penwortham’s best-loved bars has put the record straight on speculation regarding a restaurant takeover.
The team behind Penwortham’s Fairham’s Bar and Fairham Gin have spoken out over rumours they are taking over a nearby restaurant.
Liam Stemson and Ellis McKeown said they wanted to ‘make a brief statement on where things currently stand’ after speculation over their interest in the Artisan Deli in Liverpool Road, which has been for sale since November 2025.
The pair confirmed they had been working to take on the deli as a separate business, but it has not worked out.
They said: “After many months of conversations, meetings, planning and negotiations, we can confirm that the sellers have decided not to proceed with our proposed acquisition at this stage. Naturally, we are disappointed. We have put a huge amount of time, energy and commitment into trying to make the opportunity work since the start of the year and genuinely believed in the vision we had for the business moving forward.But that's business sometimes, not every opportunity works out the way you hope, no matter how much effort goes into it behind the scenes.
One thing we do want to make absolutely clear is that throughout this entire process, our focus and commitment to Fairham’s never changed for a second. In fact, this has already been our biggest and most exciting year yet and we’re incredibly proud of how much both the bar and Fairham Gin continue to grow.”
They added: “This opportunity was always intended to be a completely separate new venture alongside everything we are continuing to build. We also just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s messaged us, supported us and backed the idea from day one. The amount of local interest around it all genuinely meant a lot to us.
“For now, all of our energy goes straight back into Fairham’s, Fairham Gin and the exciting things we’ve got planned moving forward. We truly believe everything happens for a reason and whilst this chapter may not have gone the way we expected, you never know what the future holds.The support behind what we’re building means the world to us and one thing’s for sure, we’re more motivated than ever for what comes next. Ellis & Liam.”