The venue will reopen in a few weeks but it will have a new look, and a new name
Grant Pinches, GM of the Bootle Arms in Melling(Image: Iain Watts)
A Liverpool pub, known for getting people out of the “worst moods”, is set to be no more. The Bootle Arms in Melling is currently closed; however, it is not all bad news. The much-loved community pub is undergoing a major refurbishment before reopening with a new name and concept. The Rock Lane venue will welcome customers through its doors again on Wednesday, July 23, when it will be known as Woodie’s Pub, a new ‘family concept’ from the Marston’s chain.
Ahead of this, the ECHO has taken a look back on The Bootle Arms and how it established itself as a go-to for many. Manager Grant Pinches previously told the ECHO he knows exactly what makes his pub stand out from the rest.
Grant has worked in pubs all his life – having been brought up in Yorkshire by his pub-running family – and has been the general manager of the Bootle Arms in Melling for the past six years.
Grant Pinches, GM of the Bootle Arms in Melling(Image: Liverpool Echo)
His tenure at the stone-built village has been the longest he has ever worked at one pub. He puts it all down to the regulars. The 38-year-old told the ECHO: “The customers make it special. I’ve never stayed anywhere longer than two years. I get bored. But I got really attached to my locals.
“You can pick your customers, but you might be empty at the end of it. You can come in here in the worst of moods, but you won’t be in it for long. I’ve never known a pub like it. You can walk in on your tod and someone at the next table will chat to you. Every other manager in my area is jealous of that.”
The Bootle Arms in Melling(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Grant’s journey to running the pub was motivated by his wife, Hannah. The two met when working together at the West Lancashire pub Stanley Gate, and when Grant decided he wanted to move on, Hannah told him the Bootle Arms was too good an opportunity to give up.
He added: “I was looking elsewhere and I liked Marston’s values. I went ahead with an interview and had selected a different pub as my first choice. At the end of the interview process, my boss asked if I would take a look at the Bootle Arms. My wife was next to me and said, ‘take that pub’. That’s how I ended up here.”
Grant said he does not regret it in the slightest. He is now looking forward to taking the pub in a new direction. The transformation from The Bootle Arms into Woodie’s Pub will include a woodland-themed area where kids can let their “imaginations run wild” with games, craft activities, and special events such as discos, karaoke, and quizzes.
The Bootle Arms in Melling(Image: Iain Watts)
When the sun is shining, children can explore the garden and let loose in the outdoor play area while their parents relax nearby with a drink in hand.
To celebrate the reopening, the pub is hosting an all-day family festival on Saturday, July 26, with a bouncy castle, face painting, live entertainment, disco, kids’ crafts, and live music from Paul Connor, a Scouse contestant from the last season of The Voice UK.
Local families with babies born in the last 12 months will be invited to be VIPs at the family festival, with newborns receiving a keepsake Woodie’s onesie.
Grant added: “We’re so excited to be one of the first Marston’s pubs to be transforming into a Woodie’s. The Bootle Arms is such an important part of our local community, and we want to get as many local families involved as possible by sharing their pub memories during our opening weekend.
“We can’t wait to reopen our doors, show everyone what we’ve done to the place and welcome in local adults and kids to make some new memories together.” You can read more about the transformation here, including an emotional plea from the venue.