WE hear a lot of stories about pubs closing down but we also love to hear about new landlords taking over well-known venues.

So we have spoken to Alasdair Macpheat and Melissa Bennett at the Dog and Otter in Great Harwood about their new venture.

Name of the pub:

The Dog and Otter

Address:

Cliffe lane, Great Harwood

Landlord/landlady name:

Alasdair Macpheat and Melissa Bennett

How long have you been the landlord/landlady for?

1 week

Bar staff and their names:

Alison, Marcus and Tegan

Give us some history about the pub:

A warm welcome always happens at the Dog and Otter. Historically known as a great mix of food and drink. Elegantly split equally between restaurant side and pub side.

Tell us about why you took on the pub?

Melissa already worked here part time and so she knew a few regulars already and fell in love with the place. As soon as we were aware it was looking for new landlords, we jumped at the opportunity. It’s an amazing venue, clean, tidy and with amazing clientele. The Dog and Otter has great potential to do many things from outdoor family events to great live entertainment, we plan on taking advantage of all the pub has to offer and giving anyone and everyone a reason to visit their local. Whether that’s poker night, quiz night, curry and pie night, open mic night or acoustic artists, there will always be an activity that suits everybody.

Is food served? Is so what’s on the menu?

Yes. General pub menu, burgers, salads, grill etc. Vegan and vegetarian options too.

Is there a beer garden?

Yes

Do you have any darts/snooker/pool teams?

Not at the moment but will do in the near future.

Most popular drink served is:

Equal split between cask ales and premium lagers.

Most memorable moment at the pub

Up to now, getting the coal fire cleaned out and up and running.

Do you have an entertainment line-up?

Yes. Live band Friday 19th November and live band Friday 26th November.

Have you faced any challenges within the industry?

Absolutely. We had discussed taking on the pub only 2 weeks ago. We had less than 7 days to transition over into the pub (this is usually done over 8 weeks).

The best thing about running a pub is:

The atmosphere. The people in the pub are what make our job enjoyable, they have given a huge welcome to both of us.

The worst thing about running a pub is...

Very long hours.