The Stork Tavern Halliwell has new manager behind the bar

Andrew Bowling, 39, started at The Stork Tavern on Halliwell Road after completing some of the groundwork in the newly refurbished beer garden.

Andrew previously ran The Withins Pub in Breightmet, for 12 months.

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Andrew said: “I only took over a week and four days ago after doing some of the improvements in the beer garden.

“I spoke to the owner of the pub, and I mentioned some ideas of what I would do if I had any influence, and the owner of the pub (John Smith) contacted me a couple of months after and asked if I wanted to be the manager.”

Andrew says that prior to him being the manager, the pub was being ran by the staff, but he says that they were doing an amazing job, and that it was “already a good pub” when he started.

He says he feels “very lucky” and “privileged” to have been given this opportunity at the dog friendly pub.

He said: “There wasn’t really anything wrong with the way the business was being run.

“I didn’t really need to change anything. I just needed to utilise and manage the facilities here.

“I feel very lucky and privileged to be the manager that has such good regular customers, and great staff.

“When it’s your birthday you are given a bottle of port and two pork pies, and then it is shared with the customers, and that is a proper pub to me.

“I am very excited to see what the future holds, and I’m looking forward to summer.

Over the years Andrew has hosted and helped organise a number of charity events over the past 10 years with businesses and local pubs, including handing out clothes, food, haircuts, and showers, and making sure the elderly did not go hungry.

Andrew added: “A lot of my experience comes from hosting and putting on various different events for charities and of course running the pub in Breightmet.

“Halliwell Road used to have people coming from all over Bolton to go out, and I think we can get this back.”

There are a number of upcoming events for punters to look forward to including the Grand National Ladies Day, dog show, kids’ hobby horse workshop, and a community coffee morning next Tuesday, giving residents the chance to meet Andrew and share any concerns or thoughts of what they would like to see in the future.

For more information visit the pub’s official Facebook page.

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.