Imagine Inns breaks ground on £400k development

The recent acquisitions of the Railway, and the Feilden's Arms at Mellor Brook, Lancashire, take the total number of pubs in Imagine’s stable to four.

All of Imagine’s sites have five-year rolling leases with Star Pubs & Bars, with the Railway marking Imagine’s first major refurbishment and joint investment with Star.

The project will transform the pub with a kitchen extension, allowing the site to serve freshly prepared food all day, including breakfast and vegan menus.

Imagine Inns director Mike Hales said: “I like to look at the potential in a pub and imagine what it could become – hence the company name.

“We’re in no rush to expand. For us it’s all about finding the right opportunity, and each new pub we lease has to work before we move on to the next. 

“To date, we’ve trebled trade at every business, and we anticipate further substantial growth at all of them.

“Leaseholds are a great way of getting a group of pubs off the ground. I’m not afraid to invest – you have to be willing to make bold moves to reap the rewards – but it’s reassuring to be doing it in partnership on such a big scheme.

“The plans for the Railway are stunning, and it’s good to work with a flexible partner who is receptive to my vision and ideas.”

Star Pubs & Bars north-west regional operations director David Pritchard added: “We’re all about working in partnership with entrepreneurial licensees to deliver great pubs, and we’re excited to be partnering with Mike again.

“Mike took his first pub with us in November 2016. It’s an amazing achievement to have built up a group of such strong businesses in such a short space of time. Each one delivers excellence across the board, has its own individual feel and is focused on the needs of its community.”