A flat viewing led Michelle and Robin Jackson to decide to run a pub.
The now-married couple were looking for somewhere to live after they first got together. Someone they knew had converted a solicitors' office in Hoylake into a shop with a flat above it.
Both working in retail at the time, they came to see the flat - but soon had an idea.
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Robin, from Wallasey, told the ECHO: "We looked at the flat and we thought we'd take it. The woman that owned it then said 'well, we'd do you a deal on the shop if you fancy running your own business'.
"We looked at each other and thought, well we do fancy running our own business. That's how it started.
"We were into craft beer and I had a look around Hoylake and I saw that no one else was doing craft beer, so we thought we'd give that a go."
The couple opened craft beer micropub and bottle shop The Black Toad on Market Street in the Wirral town in July 2019. Having previously worked in retail, the couple has not looked back.
Robin said: "I think it's been going really well. Everyone seems to keep coming back and I think it's helped bring people back to Hoylake.
"A few other bars have popped up as well and it's created a bit of a pub crawl. It's such a great town, I think it fits us perfectly.
"There's a good relationship with the other bar owners. You've got to have a few pubs in the town to thrive, you don't want to be the only place in town."
The Black Toad is one of many micropubs to have set up in Merseyside over the past few years, focussing on craft and local beer in their compact settings.
About this, Robin said: "I think it's the way that pubs have been going, smaller premises and it's great to support little places and microbreweries, independent places that are a bit different.
"90% of the beer we sell is local to the area. I think a lot of customers are looking for that these days.
"Not all customers though, some people still come in and ask for a pint of Carling or Guinness or whatever, but there are enough customers out there who want something local. They want to support independent and small places - as well as more interesting beers, something different to what you can get in the big chains."
Robin believes pubs in Merseyside are helped by the quality of beer produced by local breweries.
He said: "We are definitely blessed with craft breweries in this part of the world. I think it's got better in the past couple of years with Azvex and people like that, and Black Lodge doing so well.
"There's also a bunch in North Wales. We're kind of in the middle of Liverpool and there, so it's good to have it from both sides. We're never short of great beer to choose from in the area."
The pub's success was recognised last month when it was runner up in CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Wirral Pub of the Year. "We were made up with that, absolutely chuffed", said Robin.
"It gives us a spotlight. It's a big thing among pub owners, I think they can be a huge help, like getting in The Good Beer Guide.
"We're just by the train station as there are loads of CAMRA guys, real ale fans, who will travel around the country. They'll look in The Good Beer Guide and they'll find the places they want to stop at, they'll check out a micropub in every town.
"Winning awards is great recognition and it makes people travel to your pub, where they might not normally.
"But we've got a really good, solid group of regulars and semi-regulars. Then we see new faces all the time.
"Personally, I love just being a part of the community and just chatting to our regulars every day, trying to put a smile on people's faces and provide a nice atmosphere. That's what we do, me and Michelle, I think."
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