New Inn Set to Rocket – with 30 New Jobs for Samlesbury

JW Lees has acquired The Boddington Arms in Samlesbury Lancashire from Greene King Plc.

The pub, which is now closed for redevelopment, will reopen in April with a new identity, transformed offer and high quality, sympathetic remodelling. The 20 bedrooms will also receive a full makeover, designed to be in keeping with the character of the property and other JW Lees Inns. When the Bluebird Inn opens, the old Boddington Arms will be a distant memory.

JW Lees pubs pride themselves on a wide range of cask ales, traditional pub food favourites and daily specials delivered with a warm welcome and great hospitality.

William Lees-Jones, JW Lees Managing Director, said, ‘The purchase of the Boddington Arms follows our strategy of investing in quality pub and hotel businesses in the North West; The pub has a substantial food and beverage business which we can add value to with the JW Lees offering.  We have closed the Boddington Arms for a complete £1m+ refurbishment to re-open in April as ‘The Bluebird Inn at Samlesbury’, named after Donald Campbell’s world-record breaking Bluebird K7 boat whose Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus turbo-jet engine was built by British Aerospace in Samlesbury.”

Peter Toft, new General Manager at the Bluebird Inn, said “JW Lees have always wanted a pub on the edge of the Ribble Valley, with its famous scenery, quaint villages, and of course, rural pubs.

“We’re going to return the pub to its former glory as a high quality country inn. The development will strip back the old décor,and bring to life the charm and sophistication that was lost over the years. We’ll also be bringing back great hospitality, fantastic beers and traditional food. A timeless pub like the Bluebird Inn needs fantastic people and we are currently looking for great people to fill roles across most areas of the business from kitchen and back of house, to front of house team members and support staff.”

JW Lees also announced that they will be commissioning a new small-batch 10-barrel brewery, called The Greendoor Brewery, and bottling plant in the spring.  The exciting developments are designed to give drinkers in JW Lees pubs the best range of cask ales, draught beers and lagers.