The Ship Inn, on the small island of Piel, will re-open tomorrow 21 months after serving its last pint.
Kirsty Ridge on the Piel Island ferry as she helps the team prepare for opening day. Photograph: Lakeland Inns
Surrounded by seal colonies, pub is said to have had a presence on the island for more than 300 years. From tomorrow it will be serving local ales, spirits, and a menu of pub favourites as a new team — the Piel Island Pub Co — takes to the pumps.
Kirsty Ridge, managing director of Cumbrian pub company Lakeland Inns, is a director of the new business. She said: “An awful lot of hard work has been put in by the team over the last few weeks as we have battled against the clock to get The Ship Inn ready to welcome guests once more.
“We’re really looking forward to sharing a drink with island residents, local visitors, and tourists from further afield, as we continue the work of those before us to make the pub and Piel a great place to be.
“This is such a special place, from the majesty of the castle to the beauty of the surroundings, and we feel very privileged to have the opportunity to run a pub with such history.”
Locally brewed ales
Piel Island lies off the coast of the Furness Peninsula in south Cumbria and is surrounded by the waters of Morecambe Bay. As well as the pub, the 50 acre island is also home to the ruins of Piel Castle, run by English Heritage, and a number of cottages that are occupied all year round.
The Ship is due to open at 9am under the stewardship of experienced publicans Jason Lewis and Joanne Clarke. Jason has decades of experience running kitchens, while Jo’s experience front of house ensures the pair are a winning formula.
Locally brewed ales from Lakeland Brewhouse will be on the pumps, while local spirits including Shed One Gin and Wolftown Gin, will also be available.
The re-opening of the pub has created ten jobs which will ensure visitors can be served between now and the end of September when the temporary lease ends.
Bookings are now available for the accommodation rooms at the pub, while a site for campers to secure a pitch is also up and running.
