Piggy Banks pub, Bolton, with brilliant locals and free pool

Piggy Banks in the town centre can be easily missed, tucked between shopfronts on Newport Street, just opposite the train station. 

This week, we are shining a light on them as our Pub of the Week. 

Introduce yourself

I'm Michelle Morgan and I'm the manager of Piggy Banks. 

Manager, Michelle Morgan (Image: Newsquest) How long have you been here? 

Around a year and a half. 

Tell us about the pub

It used to be a cafe and the gentleman who owns it decided he wanted to turn it into a pub. When I took it over, we had it redecorated. 

But it has taken off really well, we still get a lot of people coming in saying they thought it used to be a cafe three or four years ago - but it has only been a pub for a few years. 

Pool room (Image: Newsquest) What is the best thing about the pub? 

It is the customers, it is always the customers, we have got a really good regular lot, you can come down and have a chat with them. 

We get a lot of people coming in who wouldn't usually come in as well, people popping off the train and such, but they say it is lovely, clean and has a nice atmosphere. 

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The bar (Image: Newsquest) Anything unique about the pub?

We have got the outside, sort of, sitting and smoking area at the front and we also have free pool on at the moment. 

But more than anything it is the staff, I've got a really good lot of staff at the moment. They all do their jobs really well, I can't fault them. 

They deal with anything that comes their way. 

What is your draught lineup? 

Camden Hells, Bud Light, Fosters, Stella, Thatchers Fusion, Strongbow, Guinness and soon-to-be Moretti. We also have P***ed-up Pig, our own lager, with the badge designed by my 14-year-old daughter. 

We also have cask ales which vary from week to week, we have either one or two on, it varies. 

Smoking area (Image: Newsquest) What is the best thing about running a pub? 

It's having reliable staff, for me it makes it easy when you've got good staff, though the customers are brilliant anyway. 

It is a great job to do, it can be life consuming, especially when you've got children. I never thought it was a job I wanted to do until I did it. Now I couldn't be doing anything else. 

Any events/things going on? 

We have loyalty cards, and we do raffles. Weekly meat raffles, we're going to have a Christmas hamper soon as well.