A historic Liverpool city centre pub will be revitalised by a new owner.
The Vines on Lime Street has been bought by The 1936 Pub Company, which owns a number of venues across the city including Lark Lane's The Green Man and The Red Lion on Slater Street. The pub has now been closed with a view to reopening in March or April.
Affectionately known as 'The Big House', the pub has stood on the corner of Lime Street and Copperas Hill since 1867. It was taken over by the Walkers, owners of the Warrington brewing company and founders of the Walker Art Gallery, who commissioned it to be rebuilt in its current ornate style in 1907.
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The Vines was rebuilt by architect Walter Thomas, who had designed The Philharmonic Dining Rooms a few years earlier. The pub retains much of its original late Victorian interior and is a Grade 2* listed building - meaning it is of special interest and every effort should be made to preserve it.
It is viewed as one of the finest surviving examples of Edwardian pub architecture. The new owners have been in communication with the Walker Art Gallery and intend to keep them abreast of plans for The Vines.
New owner Rob Gutmann will be "bringing back a big selection of cask ales to the pub, specialising in high end and rare whiskys and stocking a quality wine cellar."
He said: "The former billiards room, an awe inspiring grand Edwardian hall, will be brought back into play seven days a week and will feature an elegant authentic ‘gin palace’ style cocktail bar."
Mr Gutmann added: "It feels like the honour of a lifetime in hospitality to have the opportunity to take on this wonderful Liverpool pub and to have the chance to re-present it to the public again as intended at its Edwardian inception.
"The city once was home to the finest gin palaces and public houses in the world, and still has a number of noteworthy and historic pubs, but it is our aim to play a role in restocking the city with great examples of vintage British public houses and reverse a tide that has seen multiple pub closures down the decades."
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