Star Pubs & Bars and Public Urban Bars (P.U.B) is embarking on its fourth venture together and beginning work on a £840k refurbishment to reopen the iconic English Rose in Liverpool after an 18-month closure.
The investment is the biggest ever for Star and will transform the large site into an outstanding family friendly pub serving food all day, renaming it CookHouse Pub & Carvery to signal its new direction. The pub is scheduled to reopen in March 2018 creating 45 new jobs.
The venue will build on the success of P.U.B’s CookHouse Pub & Carvery in Prestatyn, which opened in May 2015 and has won awards for its outdoor space and family focus.
The large rear garden will be landscaped creating a stunning space with different areas for outside eating and drinking, an enclosed children’s play area and seating for over 100 customers. The pub’s interior will be opened up giving it a light airy feel, a contemporary look and a 2995 sq ft trading area. A glass atrium-style extension with concertina doors, comfy seating and sofas will be built to allow customers to enjoy the garden from inside.
A state-of-the-art kitchen will be installed as well as an ice cream parlour, carvery - complete with rotisserie - and a barista quality coffee bar. The pub’s opening hours will be extended and food served all day starting with breakfast. The menu will focus on delivering great quality at affordable prices with ingredients sourced locally wherever possible.
The Liverpool CookHouse Pub & Carvery is P.U.B’s seventh site and the company is looking to expand further in the North West. Its current portfolio is an eclectic mix comprising community, town and city centre locations and including sites specialising in live music, stand up comedy and food. Colin Stuart, Managing Director, said this breadth of operation and expertise is a benefit in their acquisition programme, giving them a wide choice of opportunities.
Having built a blueprint for success at the Cookhouse Pub & Carvery, P.U.B is also keen to roll out the brand further should the right venues become available. Stuart said, “We’re not driven by GP, our aim is to keep prices reasonable without reducing quality and to quite simply exceed customer expectations in everything we provide. We believe it’s a gap in the market in the family sector.”
P.U.B remains committed to leasing properties. Stuart continued, “Freehold sites are not an option. The outlay required for prime sites is too great and we refuse to compromise on quality. Partnering with Star works well for us. Their commitment to bold investment allows us to unlock the maximum potential from previously under performing sites.”
David Pritchard, Star Pubs & Bars operations director, added, “The English Rose is a huge site and our investment is significant. Public Urban Bars are our ideal partners on a project of this scale – top quality professional operators who really have their finger on the pulse in terms of what will work and whose financial forecasting is second to none.”