It was a case of back to the future when brewer Joseph Holt invited customers to decide on a new name for its most recently acquired pub.
The 175-year-old Manchester-based brewery held a naming competition after buying Thornberries, in Alkrington Green. And the overwhelming response was for the popular venue to revert to its original name of The Roebuck.
“When we bought Thornberries we really wanted customers to play a key part in rejuvenating this popular pub, and we were inundated with responses,” said Mark Norbury, Joseph Holt’s pub director.
“Yet despite a wide range of suggestions, The Roebuck was the clear winner, with so many wanting the pub to go back to its original name.
“Joseph Holt has been in the same family for six generations, and as an independent company we are hugely respectful of heritage and tradition, as well as the needs of our customers. With the pub regaining its original name, we’re thrilled the past is being acknowledged in the exciting future of the pub as it undergoes a full refurbishment.”
Joseph Holt already owns 127 pubs across the North West. However, said Mark, the company constantly looks for places where there is a ‘gap’ in the geography of its estate, so Thornberries was an obvious addition to the portfolio.
“Although we already own pubs in Blackley and Middleton, we didn’t have one in Alkrington Green. Joseph Holt is a family business and location is so important to us in terms of being at the heart of the community.”
Following the £1.5 million sale and refurbishment, the Roebuck will re-open, optimising existing unused space as well as creating a beer garden.
The Roebuck is a popular name for pubs across the country. Many venues have animal names since they were meeting places for the local hunt.
Mark added: “Thornberries, like so many of our pubs, has been a place for charity events, social groups, and other community gatherings — all the things which mark out our pubs as places which are central to the local areas they serve.
“All of which will continue under its new name, The Roebuck. At the centre of this will be a pub which serves award-winning ales and delicious food as it enjoys a new beginning.”
