Thwaites targets £4m spend

Thwaites’ director of pub operations Andrew Buchanan has said the Blackburn-based brewer is on course to complete £4m-worth of investment in its estate by the end of the financial year.

Latest projects have seen the reopening of one of Blackpool’s most famous seafront pubs — the Highlands on Queen’s Promenade — under new tenants. A £140,000 refurbishment was financed jointly with Thwaites.

The Walmsley Arms pub in Rishton, Lancashire, is also welcoming customers again following a joint investment of £107,000, to give the pub a refreshed, modern interior.

Meanwhile, new tenants have moved into a Thwaites pub formerly run by Bullseye host Jim Bowen.

Anne-Marie Gallamore and Eric Seddon aim to make the Royal Oak Hotel in Hornby, in Lancashire, a popular destination venue for diners.