Licensees to open third Star Pubs & Bars site after £500,000 refurb

27-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 27-Jan-2022 at 10:26 GMT

The Farmers Arm's after its £500,000 upgrade: The Burscough pub is Chris and Jon Nevin's third Star Pubs & Bars site

Two West Lancashire based licensees have taken on their third pub lease with operator Star Pubs & Bars in the past two years.

Brothers Chris and Jon Nevin have taken on the Farmer’s Arms in Burscough, and, in partnership with Star, have begun a £500,000 upgrade of the pub.

Licensee Chris Nevin said: “We love the canal side location of The Farmer’s Arms and that there are great views across Lancashire all the way to the Pennines.

“It's in a lovely spot if you want to walk or cycle nearby or somewhere to just relax and enjoy great food and drink in beautiful surroundings.

Immediate potential

“We could immediately see the pub’s potential and that it would work well with our vision for our pubs, food, drink, and service model.”

Having opened their initial pub as the first lockdown started, the operators have been successful with their other two Star sites, with trade having increased by £1m at the Golden Lion in Rainford and by a similar amount at the Bay Horse in Worsthorne.

The Farmer’s Arms has had a new 60 seat garden room built and further work is expected to start at the end of this month.

The top to bottom refurbishment is set to include redecoration, furniture upgrades, new signage and outdoor lighting, a new roof lantern, and an extension to link the garden room to the dining area.

Star Pubs & Bars business development manager David O’Brien said: “Chris and Jon have done an amazing job over the last two years creating fantastic popular village pubs.

Adding value

“They have worked hard to deliver the type of food, drink, and ambience that people want whilst retaining the unique characters of each pub.

“I feel sure The Farmer’s Arms will be another success for them and wish the team well.”

Following the refurbishment, the pub is expected to reopen in early April, creating 30 new jobs, with a menu focused on local produce.

Nevin added: “We will continue to add further businesses to our portfolio, not only in destination and village sites. We will also be moving into further hospitality segments that we have experience of operating within where we know we can add value and differentiation over current managed pub company offers.”