The manager of a newly opened pub in Altrincham has welcomed the continuing rejuvenation of the Stamford New Road area of the town centre – and said his pub has been “booming” in its first month in operation.
Tavern On The Green, on the site of the former Faulkners Arms on Stamford New Road, opened last month after a £200,000 refit from The Bermondsey Pub Company.
It joins a host of newly opened bars on the town centre thoroughfare, including Cheshire Tap, The Craftsman and Sugar Junction, while The Old Post Rooms – which opened last summer – has proved a popular hub for independent retailers, as well as its own cafe.
Goose Green, which neighbours Stamford New Road, was also given a makeover last year and work has recently begun on widening and decluttering the road as part of a £6m programme of public realm improvements.
And general manager Sam Foster, from Tavern On The Green, said he had been pleasantly surprised by the area’s continuing revival.
He said: “When I was first offered the job, I had a look round and thought ‘blimey, there’s a hell of a lot of empty units here, is it going to be right’? Then I came back about a week later to have a second look, and I remember thinking that while there were a lot of empty units, they were having a lot of work done.
“I think the market does really well for people coming from town and outsiders can tend to go straight from the train station to the market.
“So it’s quite encouraging to see businesses like Sugar Junction, The Craftsman and Cheshire Tap are doing really well in this part of town, and you can definitely see that flow of traffic coming up here.
“The work on Stamford New Road will have a short-term impact but once they open up the Grafton Centre and have completed their work, I think that will have a positive impact – it will be more pedestrian-friendly and will be easier for people on foot.
“The very fact that people are investing their time and money into this area, just goes to show what this place is going to be like. Stamford New Road and Goose Green has got a hell of a lot to offer.”
Foster said his pub, which is also Bermondsey’s first pub outside London to be a branded Pieminster pub, said the first few weeks had “gone really well”.
“The pies are selling really well – way more than we predicted, and we’re starting to get a lot more table reservations in advance,” he added. “Our cocktails are also selling fantastically. It’s all on an upwards trajectory and Friday and Saturday nights in particular are booming.”
