Pub Awards: Best Turnaround finalist - The Hunters, Preston, Lancashire

A pub that the brewery admits was under invested since being built in the ’70s has seen huge redevelopments, including a renaming and total rebranding.

The pub had become unsustainable financially, and was not a suitable environment for families. Customers were even known to head home to use their own toilets.

The Hunters went about reversing the reputation by publishing a list of frequently asked questions to assure the community the pub had changed and revealed the extent of the transformation. Family-friendly menus, food offers and décor distanced it from the previous state, and it’s now an outstanding business, with turnover up as much as 15-fold on a strong week.

Range

The tiny kitchen area has been extended and allows for a true dining experience, providing a huge range of dishes catering for all times of day and customers, which is complemented by an exciting sports viewing area.

A games area that allowed an antisocial crowd to rule the pub has been removed, and the redesign uses the striking Hunters logo with an attractive, slick styling.

The pub is also keen to be seen as a family-friendly hub, having sent out 3,500 birthday cards to locals, and features popcorn and candyfloss machines.

The large site has been such a success, the brewery plans to add a decking of 60 covers to add to the existing 126.