Historic Blackpool Pub Reopens After £1.8m Refurbishment 25 September 2019 by Visit Blackpool A once derelict Blackpool pub, dating back to the 19th century, has been brought back to life following a £1.8 million makeover. Half Way House in South Shore reopened this week with a VIP launch following a five month restoration project by new owners , independent family run brewery Joseph Holt, who bought the pub last year. The locally listed pub was built around 1899 but there has been an inn on the site since around 1835 Aiming to create a “traditional pub with a modern twist” the watering hole, on the corner of St Anne`s Road and Squires Gate now features a fresh handmade, stone-baked pizza section with an open counter and display, an extensive orangery style extension, large central marbled topped bar, large car park with electronic charging points, and a huge beer garden and children’s play area. Now restored to its former glory in the heart of the Blackpool community, owners believe the combination of tradition and innovation will create a magnet destination venue for both residents and visitors to the Fylde Coast. Celebrating its place as a love letter to Blackpool`s landscape and history - memorabilia relating to the town`s present and past hang from the wall such as items from the Winter`s Gardens, Blackpool FC and Blackpool Tower. Said Richard Kershaw, Chief Executive and Fifth Generation member of the Joseph Holt family: “It’s been a major investment of nearly £2 million to restore this pub. Joseph Holt is very much a community brewery and we are proud to have restored this pub to give something back to the community, not only as a place for people to eat and drink but by providing employment to the area." New co -manager Suzanne Tingle, who is local to Blackpool, added that in serving a large range of food from pub classics to stone baked pizzas as well as a large selection of the brewery’s award winning ales and lagers, the Half Way House will once again be a landmark pub where people can enjoy a sociable pint, a family meal with children or a place to watch the sport in comfortable surroundings. “It is a thriving community of both residents and visitors and we are very much looking forward to welcoming customers.”