Clay reveals plans for renowned Blackpool pub

Award-winning pub manager Adrian Clay has crossed the trade divide to become his own boss as tenant of the Raikes Hall Hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire.

Clay and his wife Jeanette, who ran the town's Litten Tree pub for five years, took over as licensees at the Trust Inns-owned pub earlier this month.

The pub is a former Mitchells & Butlers managed house purchased by Trust Inns nine months ago.

Clay has begun to work his retail magic, increasing weekly turnover more than fourfold when he hit the £17,000 mark last week.

The business is heavily wet-led: food accounts for only 10% of turnover, which Clay is eager to turn round.

"In its heyday this was one of Blackpool's best pubs and we aim to return the place to its former glory," he said.

"There's bags of potential here and we plan to develop the business in a range of different ways, including a better food service, capitalising on the pub's bowling green and developing use of the function room," added Clay, a former winner of the Morning Advertiser Best Managed Pub award.

The Grade II-listed building, dating from 1750, is located close to the seafront and was once the home of Blackpool Football Club.

lit was founded in the last century.

Clay is a former winner of the Morning Advertiser Best Managed Pub award.