The Ribble Lodge on Ribbleton Avenue in Preston reopened last Thursday 13^th March following a major investment of nearly £215,000. The pub is part of Proper Pubs – the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns – which has more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

Rebecca Lyons, Operator of the Ribble Lodge, said: “The Ribble Lodge has been transformed to include a completely refreshed bar area as well as brand new furniture, flooring, fittings and fixtures throughout to breathe a new lease of life into the pub. We’ve also revamped the both games room, which is now complete with two brand new pool tables and dart boards, and the function room which holds up to 120 people and an additional four dart boards.

Outside, the Ribble Lodge hosts two spacious beer gardens – one at the front of the pub seating approximately 50 people and one at the rear of the building which will feature brand new heaters and a sheltered area so it can be used all year round.”

To celebrate the reopening, the pub hosted a live performance on Thursday night from popular local artist, Peter Hague, which was followed by a weekend packed full of entertainment. This included a performance from local singer, Callie Allen on Friday evening, a live DJ set on Saturday night and a street food van in residence for customers to enjoy on both days.

Going forward, Rebecca will continue to host the pub’s busy schedule of entertainment which includes weekly quizzes, DJ nights, live music, games evenings and psychic nights. The Ribble Lodge also boasts six television screens and one large projector, complete with Sky and TNT Sports, so that customers can watch their favourite sport wherever they are in the pub.

In addition, the operator hopes to support several community initiatives and will start by fundraising to have a lifesaving defibrillator installed at the pub and collecting food to donate to the local foodbank. Rebecca is also hoping to work with several national and regional mental health charities, a cause close to her heart.

Rebecca added: “I’ve loved my time at the Ribble Lodge so far and I’m so pleased with how the reopening went – we’ve already had such fantastic feedback from the community so I can’t wait for all that’s to come.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Proper Pubs for helping to bring my vision for this incredible pub to life and for all their support throughout this journey.”

The Ribble Lodge also offers a wide range of drinks promotions including Wine Wednesday, where customers can get £2 off a bottle, Fizz Friday, offering customers a bottle of fizz for £10, along with cocktails, bottle and shot deals throughout the week.

Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “I’m delighted to have Rebecca and the team on board at the Ribble Lodge and it’s fantastic to see how this incredible transformation has come to life.

On behalf of myself and the whole team at Proper Pubs, I’d like to thank both the operator, and everyone who has had a hand in getting the pub to where it is now, for all their hard work and I wish Rebecca the very best for the future.”

Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. In March 2024, it was crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards. More recently, the Group collected 16,000 advent calendars to donate to communities in need and raised nearly £100,000 in just three months for various local charities across the UK. In September 2024, Proper Pubs successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised for its UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.

Currently, operators across Proper Pubs’ estate are collecting as many Easter Eggs as possible to donate to local charities and worthy community causes.

The Ribble Lodge, Ribbleton Avenue, Ribbleton, Preston PR2 6RD

Ribble Lodge, Preston – Proper Pubs

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