Keith Haggis – famed for Keith’s on Lark Lane – is set to bring a community boozer back
The Belgrave is set to reopen under Keith’s owner Keith Haggis
If you say the name Keith Haggis to most people in Liverpool – they will associate it with the legendary Keith’s Wine Bar that has remained a quirky and quintessential part of the Lark Lane drinking scene since 1978. But soon, Mr Haggis is set to be associated with another drinking venue not too far away from his iconic establishment.
How soon that is, however, remains to be seen. It was last September when the ECHO spoke to Keith from Keith’s about his plans to bring The Belgrave Pub back to life.
With its original roots dating back as far as 1840, The Belgrave building has remained closed since 2011 but was bought several years ago by Mr Haggis, who wanted to restore it as a community pub for the St Michaels and wider Aigburth area.
Work has been going on at the site since around this time last year, but the project still looks to be some months away from completion.
In an exclusive chat with the ECHO last September, Mr Haggis said he didn’t want to be definitive about timescales for the project, but had hoped it may be finished by this summer.
He did warn: “There could be issues we find that add cost and add time.”
Keith Haggis, owner of Keith’s on Lark Lane(Image: Liverpool Echo)
While the publican has not responded to comments asking for an update on the build, locals have been told by contractors at the site that it could be completed closer to Christmas.
When he spoke about the pub plans last year, Mr Haggis said: “I have lived around here for the last 30-odd years and I always liked the idea that this was the pub for St Michaels-in-the-Hamlet, the local, little community pub.
“I was sad to see what happened to it and then it closed and I had always fancied running it and making it a really nice, community pub. When it closed down I was lucky enough to be able to buy it. We want it to be a local pub for local people.
“The plan for upstairs is to make nice hotel bedrooms. There are student halls of residence around the corner and they have family come over to visit them.
“So this would be somewhere for them to stay. It is also just 200m from St Michaels Station which can take people on to Anfield, to Aintree and the city centre.”
He said at the time that the responses to his plans had been largely welcomed by those living locally.
He added: “The neighbours seem happy, the reaction has all been very positive. There was only one or two people who were against it. Quite a few of the residents lived here when it was open as a pub and they seem happy it is reopening.”
As the pub is in a residential area, Mr Haggis expects it to open until around 11pm on weeknights and until midnight on weekends. These details will be determined at a council licensing meeting closer to its opening date.