A BURNLEY licensee has opened a new bar in the town centre and is determined to keep things local.

Bar Central, which will specialise in real ales brewed in the region, has opened in Manchester Road and for owner Andy Taylor, 46, it is a homecoming after 12 years working away in the trade.

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He said: “I’ve always wanted my own bar in Burnley.

“I was brought up in Duke Bar and have worked in in the trade for 20 years.

“I worked at The Duke of York, The Falcon and the North Valley in Colne before moving away to work in Newcastle.

“I’ve managed a pub up there for past 12 years, my mates in Burnley joke that I’ve got a hint of a Geordie accent now.

“When this opportunity came up it was too good to miss.

“A chance to do what I love back in my home town.

“I’ve looked at the success of some of the smaller bars and micro-pubs serving cask ale and these premises right in the town centre were ideal.”

Mr Taylor, who attended Barden High School and Burnley College, has invested £10,000 on a refit of the bar, which opened last week.

He said: “It’s been great, custom is building and I’ve had some good feedback.

“It’s well known there’s been a decline in the bigger pubs and I think the main reason is high rents and being tied to breweries.

“I intend to work with local, independent breweries who are seeing a bit of a revival but we also serve wines and spirits.”

Mr Taylor currently employs one member of staff at the 70 person capacity bar and has applied for an entertainment licence to host bands and acoustic musicians.

One of his key suppliers will be Worsthorne Brewery, which produces its beers in Burnley Road, Briercliffe.

The small operation, which has been in operation since 2011, make ales some of which have traditional names such as Colliers Clog and Blackthorne Stout.

Mr Taylor said: “Worsthorne are a good example of the ales I’m trying to promote.

“They’re a Burnley business and part of the small scale quality brewing going on in Lancashire and the North West.”