Following the floods that devastated the Ribble Valley on Boxing Day, licensees Phil and Tina Fairey have reopened the doors of The Ribchester Arms pub for the first time in three months with a new look that has wowed the local community.
When the Ribble Valley was hit with record levels of rain during Christmas, the village of Ribchester was hit with the worst floods that the region had ever seen. Despite the efforts of many villagers, who tried to sandbag entrances and save belongings, the rising water was too much to overcome and as a result many, including The Ribchester Arms, found their homes and businesses under a foot of water.
Licensee Phil Fairey explained: “The flood destroyed the pub, causing irreparable damage to all our equipment and furniture. The water swept away the heavy seating in our beer garden and all of our stock had to be destroyed because of cross contamination. It was devastating.”
24 hours after the flooding, the waters started to recede and, in true Northern spirit, villagers and staff arrived with brushes and mops to help clean up the pub. The extent of the damage was so significant that plans to reopen were shelved indefinitely.
“We didn’t just lose our business, the village lost their pub” explained Tina. “Christmas is such an important time for many and The Ribchester is one of the main places to celebrate. We had to cancel hundreds of bookings including a golden wedding party for local couple who tied the knot at The Ribchester Arms 50 years ago. It was heartbreaking.”
With the extent of the damage severe, Robinsons Brewery stepped in to make the best of a bad situation with a complete refurbishment of the pub. A new colour scheme with new timber flooring, creates a spacious drinking area and retains the homely welcoming atmosphere that The Ribchester Arms is so famous for. The bar has been replaced and three new hand pulls installed; ready to serve a rotating range of Robinsons award-winning cask ales to the community.
“We are delighted with the result and very relieved to finally be open after all this time” continued Tina. “Our staff have been amazing and our customers’ feedback to the new look has been brilliant as well. It’s great to be open and pulling pints again.”
Wayne Roach, Business Development Manager for Robinsons Brewery, said: “The Ribchester Arms is one of the most popular pubs in the area and it’s great to see the pub once again serving the community. It has been a real team effort to get the pub up and running again and Phil, Tina, the staff and the whole community should feel very proud. We want to thank everyone in Ribble Valley for their kindness and understanding during the last few months and we hope that everyone will come down and enjoy a pint at the new Ribchester Arms.”
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