The team said “this has to happen, and it can’t wait until winter”
10:29, 13 Aug 2025Updated 11:06, 13 Aug 2025
Bobby Dix, landlord at the Pig & Whistle in Liverpool city centre(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A historic Liverpool pub is closing its doors as owners say the “building is a wreck”. The Pig & Whistle, on the corner of Chapel Street and Covent Garden in the city centre, will close on Sunday, August 24.
However, it is not all bad news as the closure is only temporary to allow a refurbishment to take place. The pub is celebrating its 150th anniversary, with the building it calls home dating back to the early 18th century, when it was both a boarding house and a brothel.
It building has a long history and first became a pub back in 1875, named after the crew bars on ships, which are commonly known as the Pig and Whistle, or Pig for short, as it served plenty of dockers and seafarers.
The pub now stands alone on its block, with its neighbouring buildings all demolished. An urban legend meant many in Liverpool long thought that it was due to the Blitz, but the surrounding structures were actually all knocked down by the city council in the 1970s, leaving The Pig as the last man standing.
Pig and Whistle pub on Chapel Street, Liverpool(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The Pig, owned by Heineken’s pub arm Star Pubs, will remain open for a few more weeks before closing. The team explained on social media that when it reopens, “lots” will have changed, but the “feel” should “hopefully” remain the same.
They added: “The stage is being removed, the fireplace is being reinstated, and the gents toilets is going upstairs. The floor, ceiling, electrics and windows are being replaced. Plus we’ll have more plugs for your bloody chargers. Outside is getting a whole new roof and render, plus funky new signage and a big mural. It’ll look boss la.
“The building is a wreck. We’ve had almost a year trying to keep the place from falling over, but it isn’t sustainable. This has to happen, and it can’t wait until winter. Besides, the brewery is making us do it, and they’re paying.
A design of how the Pig & Whistle in Liverpool city centre could look after a refurbishment(Image: The Pig & Whistle)
“So much of what makes the pub a fun and quirky place to drink is staying the same. We’re keeping it in a traditional style in pretty much the same layout. The mural stays, the TripAdvisor mirror, McCartney Steps, Celebrity Corner, and Shelf of Shame will all return. You will still not be allowed to sing Wonderwall.”
The team also confirmed that this was “just a refurb” and not a change of management or ownership. The last day of trading in The Pig, as we know, will be a “match day”, so the pub won’t be hosting a closing party.
The Pig added: “There’s a chance there will be some booze leftover, so if you’re not a ********, we might let you stay behind to help us drink it.”
Current licensee Bobby Dix worked at the pub under the previous landlord and has been in charge since last summer. It was closed briefly before he reopened it in September, having worked to smarten it up and add his own flourishes.
Bobby has worked hands-on to revive the pub, making cosmetic changes – including interior decoration, new upholstery and some exterior additions, including flower beds and new light-hearted signs. Among them are posters which read: “The façade only a mother could love” and “We’re not closed, just ugly.”