Patrick Lynch had been a regular at the Birkenhead pub for decades and now he runs it with his daughter Collette
The Garrick Snug pub in Birkenhead pictured Patrick Lynch
A Wirral dad who didn’t want to see his favourite pub close down made the bold decision to buy it – despite having never run a pub before. Patrick Lynch, 71, had spent decades enjoying a drink inside The Garrick Snug, which is located on Grange Precinct, in Birkenhead.
Dating from at least 1892, the former Birkenhead Brewery pub is a pint-sized little place with an Elizabethan style exterior, situated in the main shopping area of the town. Serving Whitbread Special Cask Bitter by handpump, the pub also has a tiny beer garden that’s a unique place to enjoy a pint.
Patrick decided to take over the pub three years ago when he bought it from the previous landlord. Despite having worked in the building industry and having no hospitality experience whatsoever, he took a leap of faith when he felt compelled to save the historic establishment.
Speaking to the ECHO, Patrick said: “I used to drink there years ago and it was my local pub sort of thing. This is my first time running a venue like this. I was afraid that if someone else bought it, they would turn it into flats or close it down and then I wouldn’t have anywhere to have a drink.”
Now Patrick runs The Garrick Snug with his daughter Collette, who is the venue’s licensee. Patrick, who is also a dad to son Martin, moved to Birkenhead from Dundalk in southern Ireland the 1970s.
The Garrick Snug pub in Birkenhead pictured Patrick Lynch
He said: “I came over to Birkenhead when I was 20 to work on all the building sites, until I retired when I was 65. I met a girl here and she kept me here.”
Working with his daughter, Patrick relied upon Collette’s knowledge of the hospitality industry. He said: “She had worked in bars and that before. She can do all the technical stuff that I can’t do. She knows how to put the TV on. It has been great.”
And although entering an entirely different industry during his retirement has come with its challenges, Patrick said the only downside to taking on the pub is that he has “less time to spend at the bar drinking myself”.
The pub’s karaoke nights are always popular with customers – many of whom Patrick knew from his days drinking in the pub. Patrick joked that The Garrick Snug is the sort of place where “people come in and then they forget to go back out”.
Sadly, many of the friends Patrick had made in the bar over the years have since passed away – but he’s proud to have kept the venue open as a community hub.
The Garrick Snug pub in Birkenhead
He said: “I get more enjoyment looking out at people’s faces when they come in – they all seem to be happy and content.
“It’s only a small place so everyone knows each other – even if they don’t like each other they have to talk to one another. A lot of the people I used to drink with here have sadly passed away but I know a lot of the people who come in.”
Having taken a gamble in buying the pub, Patrick has no regrets – and he’s determined to make sure it remains as a pub.
Ge said: “I would never sell it. I bought it to keep it for the people of Birkenhead. It’s like a community hub for them – they all come in and chat among themselves.
“Lots of people have wanted to buy it to develop. I was offered [money] from developers but no amount of money would buy it, not even a million pound would buy it.”