After yet another refurbishment, Lowton’s Church Inn is set to re-open its doors and usher in a new chapter in its long history.
The pub, on Newton Road, will be pulling pints once again from Friday 12 July 2024, after a major investment of £265,000 from new owners Proper Pubs.
Behind the bar will be Esther Ryan and Jason Dennan, who have nine years’ experience working in the industry. The couple bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to The Church Inn, along with an understanding of the local area, which they hope will enable them to cement it at the heart of Lowton.
A new chapter for The Church Inn
It comes after a turbulent few years for the Church Inn. It initially closed due to Covid restrictions, and never reopened. After spending 19 months boarded up, it was refurbished and reopened by Same Again Pubs Ltd. But things weren’t to run smoothly and there were several further periods of closure – most recently in May.
However, latest owners Proper Pubs, a division of Admiral Taverns, have high hopes for the Church Inn’s future – having transformed the pub with a full interior and exterior refurbishment. Inside, the pub will host a brand new bar area as well as new furniture, flooring, fixtures and fittings to give the pub a fresh, modern look.
Outside, The Church Inn will be completely repainted, complete with updated signage to greet customers, and will feature a brand-new garden area for visitors to enjoy during the summer months.
The Church Inn marks the sixth site under Proper Pubs’ new ‘mid-market’ offering which promises to maintain great value, whilst providing something a little different to customers with an elevated drinks offering, and snack menu designed for sharing. It is one of 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales to come under the Proper Pubs name – which is an “award-winning community wet-led operator”.
Official opening celebrations
The Church Inn will welcome in the next chapter in its history on opening night – Friday 12 July from 8pm. Customers will enjoy a prosecco reception followed by an evening of entertainment from local soul singer, T Kay.
Going forward, the pub will offer a wide range of drinks including premium draught beers, ciders, cask ales, an extensive cocktail menu and wine list. Throughout the week, the pub will run various drinks promotions including after work cocktail deals where customers can buy two cocktails for £12 between 5-7pm Monday-Friday, Fizz Fridays offering a bottle of fizz for £12, and Wine Wednesdays where customers can get £2 off a bottle.
In addition, it will host a coffee menu and an array of sweet and savoury bar snacks such as pretzels, popcorn and something sweet to nibble on whilst enjoying time with friends and family.
At the heart of the community
Operator of The Church Inn, Esther Ryan said: “Jason and I are absolutely delighted to be taking over The Church Inn – the pub looks fantastic already and we can’t wait to welcome all our customers, both old and new, into the pub to showcase the phenomenal transformation.
“Moving forwards, we will be sure to support the community in any way we can, starting by raising money to have a lifesaving defibrillator installed as well as collecting money for the local food bank.
“Pubs are such a vital part of community life so we can’t wait for The Church Inn to become the hub of Warrington.”
Esther and Jason now pledge to hosting a busy schedule of entertainment at The Church Inn. To begin with, this will include hosting a local darts team and regular live music evenings at the weekends, with plans for weekly quiz nights and regular ladies’ coffee mornings.
As part of their vision to give back to the local community, the operators will host several fundraising days for various causes close to their hearts such as local kids’ clubs, MacMillan Cancer and charities that specifically support those with Multiple Sclerosis. Whilst these will be their initial focus, Esther and Jason say they are open to suggestions from customers and residents on worthy causes.
Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “I’m particularly excited about the opening of The Church Inn, especially since it marks the opening of our sixth mid-market site! The team has been working exceptionally hard behind the scenes to complete the refurbishment and to ensure those final finishing touches are in place ahead of reopening in a couple of weeks’ time.
“On behalf of Proper Pubs, I’d like to welcome our fantastic community heroes, Esther and Jason to the pub and of course wish them the very best of luck in making it a vibrant social hub for local residents to enjoy.”
So, what do you think?
Are you pleased to see The Church Inn reopen? And what do you think of their plans for the future?
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