WE have ventured to the Ribble Valley for our latest trip to put the spotlight on local pubs and this time we spoke to Andrew Thompson at the Waddington Arms near Clitheroe.

Name of the pub

Waddington Arms

Address of the pub:

Waddington, Nr Clitheroe

Landlord/landlady name:

Andrew Thompson

How long have you been the landlord/landlady for?

Over a decade now

Give us some history about the pub

Originally a roadside coaching inn dating back to nobody knows exactly when, the Waddington Arms was formerly known as the Sun Inn set in the beautiful Ribble Valley. For many years it provided hospitality to travellers and villagers alike. But then, in the 1980s it became a pub with a Chinese restaurant to the side. The pub was bought from the brewery and has been in family ownership ever since. Gutted, redesigned and rebuilt the pub re-opened in 1994. The Waddington Arms had a new look and a fresh start. Under the same ownership of the same team behind The Emporium and Mitton Hall, it has gone from strength to strength ever since.

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

Our varied menus are available for lunch and dinner and feature everything from pub classics to light bites to spectacular Sunday roasts with all the trimmings.

Is there a beer garden

There is a beer garden to the rear of the pub, the perfect place to sit and relax with a drink or two in the spring and summer months.

Most popular drink served is:

Our cask ales are our most popular amongst our customers, but specifically Bowland Brewery’s Hen Harrier.

Most memorable moment at the pub

Our Sausage Sizzle event this past summer was one of our highlights. We had live music, an outdoor bar and a barbecue for the August Bank Holiday. The sun was shining, the drinks were flowing and everybody seemed to be having the best time in the beer garden.

Do you have an entertainment line-up?

We often have live music and events.

Have you faced any challenges within the industry

The past couple of years have been hard for everybody with our last re-opening in April 2021 for outdoor dining and drinking. We are a destination venue for both locals and visitors to the Ribble Valley, and we’ve found that people really want to visit somewhere special when going out - which we struggled with when people couldn’t travel very far due to restrictions.

The best thing about running a pub is

The best thing about running a pub is the people. We love working with the community and serving regular visitors to the Ribble Valley. We have our regular customers who we see multiple times a week, and those who visit us every so often and the experience never changes. Delivering top-notch service is what we strive for every time.