Vic hosts four-day festival

A pub once threatened with demolition and boosted last year by a £300,000 makeover hosts a beer and cider festival over the next four days.
The Victoria pub in St AnnesThe Victoria pub in St Annes
The Victoria pub in St Annes

The festival at The Victoria in Church Road, St Annes –which will also plenty of entertainment for families – will be held in a marquee in the car park at the rear of the pub from noon to 10pm daily from today until Sunday inclusive – and general manager Andy Rodgers is hoping it will become an annual event.

More than 60 beers and ciders, from 28 breweries, will be available at the festival, while the family entertainment will include a bouncy castle on Saturday and Sunday and an owls display, complete with photo opportunities, on Saturday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm.

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“We are also having a barbecue and a sausage and black pudding hotpot on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 4pm and 9pm and we are hoping to see plenty of people there,” said Andy, who took over the reins at the pub popularly known as The Vic last November, a few months after it opened following the major refit which ended a long spell of uncertainty over its future.

The oldest pub in St Annes, dating back to 1897, it looked set to be bulldozed to make way for retirement flats before a successful campaign to save it as a community asset.

The refurbishment which resulted in 20 new jobs also saw the introduction of an extensive food menu.

Andy, born and bred in St Annes, has had connections with The Vic going back to his youth when he played football for the Vic and is delighted that the pub has gone from strength to strength during his time in charge.

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“The guests are always complimenting us on how much the pub has improved.” he said.

“It’s a community pub and we are delighted to support local groups including Just Good Friends. The pub is performing really well and parent company Greene King is delighted at the transformation.

“We are really looking forward to the beer and cider festival. With the help of the team and all our regular guests. The Victoria has now turned a corner and the future for the pub is really exciting after several years of uncertainty.“

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