Star Pubs & Bars is to spend £3.6m on refurbishments in Lancashire, as part of its 2017 £20m investment programme.
The company has 102 pubs in Lancashire. Refurbishments are planned at sixteen pubs in the county this year with the focus on creating great locals serving good food and coffee for the whole community to enjoy.
One of those to benefit is The Stags Head at Goosnargh near Preston (pictured), where work starts this week on a £270k refurbishment to reopen the pub after a five-month closure.
The pub is the first for former pub manager Martin Sanderson and his fiancée Rowena McAllister, who was most recently a restaurant supervisor. The investment will transform The Stags Head into a quality family friendly pub with an outstanding menu featuring produce from Lancashire farmers and suppliers.
An outside staircase will be built to enable customers to easily access the garden from the pub and there will two dining areas as well as a traditional bar. A little used snug will be converted into a private dining room and meeting space for the community and the kitchen will be fully upgraded. With no coffee shop in Goosnargh, a barista quality coffee machine will be installed and coffee served all day.
The Stags Head garden will also receive a complete makeover adding a large patio for alfresco eating and drinking as well as a children’s play area.
Martin Sanderson said, “I’ve a wanted a pub of my own since I left college and have had my eye on The Stags Head for the last three years. There’s a shortage of pubs where families as well as the rest of the community can enjoy excellent food at reasonable prices. I’m a chef by training and we’re aiming to fill that gap.”
Star Pubs & Bars operations director David Pritchard for the central region, said, “Martin and Rowena have a great track record in pubs, a real knowledge of Preston and a commitment to the area. We’re delighted to be working with them to restore The Stags Head and give it a new lease of life.
'Vibrant pubs are affordable, fun places where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together. Customers now want the same choice and quality of drinks, good food and entertainment on their doorsteps at their locals as they get in city centres. We’re investing £20 million this year around the country in pubs like The Stags Head to help them deliver excellent quality and thrive in their role at the heart of their communities.”