BURY PUB GETS THREE FIREPLACES AND A NEW GLOW IN £400,000 MAKEOVER
Spring may soon be upon us, but given the vagaries of the British weather there’s nothing quite like a pub with an open fire for a cosy evening out.
And following a facelift at the popular pub, The Blue Bell in Bury, customers now have three fires to choose from — whether in the dining room or the combined lounge and bar area.
The fireplaces are just one element of the £400,000 makeover which, according to the pub’s owners — Manchester-based brewery Joseph Holt — gives The Blue Bell the kind of refreshed but traditional feel that is proving popular with pubgoers.
“Traditional pubs are all about roaring fires, real ale, great food and comfortable places to sit, and we’re so happy The Blue Bell can offer all of that and more,” said Marc Broady, acquisition and development executive at Joseph Holt.
The renovations have also created space for even more visitors, with the former lounge and public bar now opened up into one flowing area.
And given the unpredictability of the British summer, the makeover ensures customers can still sit outside in comfort. A glazed screen around the new outdoor seating area helps protect drinkers not only from the wind but also from the noise of passing traffic.
The pub, located in a handsome early 20th-century building on Manchester Road and owned by Joseph Holt for more than 20 years, was one of the first of the brewery’s 127 pubs across Manchester and the North West to serve food. A quarter of the renovation budget — £100,000 — has been spent on the kitchen alone.
In a nod to the building’s past, an outside door that had been boarded up for 30 years has been transformed into a feature window.
Landlord Shaun Holland, 40, hopes the refurbished pub will attract even more visitors while also becoming a hub for local groups and events.
“We host popular cabaret evenings and the weekly Chit Chat social group,” he said. “But given how fantastic the pub now looks, we’re planning even more events here — and of course we’d love more community groups to meet here too.”
Mr Broady, who has overseen many refurbishments for the 176-year-old brewery in his many years at the brewery, said the project was among the most impressive transformations he had seen.
He added: “From the change in layout and the fireplaces to the furnishings and the more open feel, The Blue Bell really has been transformed. Traditional pubs are more popular than ever, and with this facelift we’ve managed to create a fresh, spacious venue that still keeps everything people love about a classic pub.”
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