A landmark Merseyside pub has reopened having been completely transformed during a five month closure.
Formerly ‘The Victoria’, the Rainhill pub now has a huge 200 seater beer garden with a large children’s playground, and has been renamed The Cookhouse Pub and Carvery.
The Warrington Road pub’s £800,000 makeover also includes a revamped interior, with an ice cream parlour, coffee lounge and self-contained function room, alongside its newly refurbished bar and dining areas.
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Outside, the landscaped garden has a covered pergola meaning visitors can eat and drink outside all year round.
The pub reopened last night with 40 new jobs having been created. Licensee Robert Ashpital said it is “like a totally different pub with something for everyone”. Mr Ashpital said he wants The Cookhouse to be “a hub of local life that supports the community” and is making the new function room available to local good causes in need of meeting space.
There are also plans for plenty of entertainment, including tribute bands, comedy nights, a children’s cinema club and ‘suppers with Santa’ this Christmas.
The pub will open at 9am each day for breakfast and brunch, followed by pub favourites, a carvery and special occasion menus.
Mr Ashpital said: “The reaction from the village has been phenomenal. There’s a real buzz and excitement in Rainhill about the opening. I’ve worked in hospitality for more than 20 years and never known anything like it. I love seeing people enjoy themselves and feel fortunate to be part of a pub that will offer so much. We’ve already been inundated with function room bookings, and our Halloween party for 80 children sold out in days.”
The pub was revamped by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and Merseyside-based Public Urban Bars. Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager Phil McWilliam said: “The Cookhouse is a real landmark of Rainhill. We’re pleased to have helped bring it back to life for the whole community to enjoy. The scale of the investment shows: the pub looks fantastic and has amazing facilities.”
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