Every week we love to shine the spotlight on some of the best local venues that the borough has to offer, in our Pub of the Week feature.

This week we spoke with Caron Turner, the owner of the Bank Top Brewery Tap on Belmont Road in Astley Bridge – a ‘traditional, old fashioned’ pub which aims to be a place for people to socialise and talk.

Can you tell us some history about the pub?

“We opened in April 2010, so we’ve been open for 14 years now. Obviously since Covid there have been many challenges, but evidence shows that we’re coming through that now.

“We’ve had a very difficult few years, but we feel as if we’re coming through the other side – I personally put the success of our pub down to the products that we serve, obviously.

“Our beer is brewed just down the road, about a quarter of a mile away.”

Do you serve food?

“No, it’s wet trade only. We’ve got nine cask ales on the bar, eight of those are our own. One of them is always a rotating guest beer.

“Our products are brewed just down the road, about a quarter-of-a-mile away at Bank Top Brewery on Ashworth Lane.”

The bar is stocked with a range of locally-brewed beersThe bar is stocked with a range of locally-brewed beers (Image: Caron Turner)

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Is there an outdoor space?

“We’ve got quite a large beer garden, to be honest – we can actually seat more people outside than we can in, which was excellent during Covid when we were doing the Eat Out To Help Out.”

What’s the most popular drink you serve at the moment?

“Hmm… it’s a two-horse race, really. It’s either Flat Cap or Pavillion Pale Ale. One or the other.

“I prefer Bad to the Bone, to be honest – but that’s my palate.”

The beer garden at the Bank Top Brewery Tap was a lifeline during CovidThe beer garden at the Bank Top Brewery Tap was a lifeline during Covid (Image: Caron Turner)

Do you have an entertainment line-up at the pub?

“No, we do not. Our pubs – all of them – are traditional, old fashioned, community pubs where people come to talk.

“They don’t come to watch large screens, they don’t come to play pool and they don’t come to play jukeboxes. We do have music in the background, but the majority of our very loyal customer base come to socialise and talk.”

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What are the biggest challenges in the industry at the moment and how can you overcome them?

“The biggest challenges in our industry at the moment are energy prices – that has been the case since April last year – and the cost of the product that’s coming in.”

What’s the best thing about running the pub?

“I’ve got an extremely strong staff team, many of them have been with us for several years.

“We were able to furlough them all through Covid and they kept their jobs, whereas in some parts of our industry bar staff lost their jobs.”

What’s the worst thing about running the pub?

“I can’t give you an answer to that – I’ve been doing this for 40 years and I wouldn’t still be doing it if I didn’t love it.”

Have you got any memorable moments?

“Oh my goodness, yes indeed. But I’m not sure I can share many of them with you.

“I think, probably, we were very pleased to win [CAMRA] Cider Pub of the Year for the whole of Greater Manchester after winning it for the Bolton area a couple of years running – that was a nice one.”

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

“The only thing I’d really like to add is to give thanks to our customers who have continued to support us through thick and thin since the pandemic.”

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.