Run an Admiral Pub, Alexandra, Darwen

The Alexandra is a traditional community pub nestled in the heart of Darwen, a market town located in Lancashire, England. Surrounded by residential housing and local shops, the pub serves as a central gathering place for the town’s residents.

The pub offers a unique and versatile space, with a central servery bar that serves both the main bar area and the lounge room, ensuring seamless service across all areas. The lounge room features a comfortable mixture of fixed benches and low-level seating, with a combination of carpeted and tiled floors and soft furnishings that create a relaxed atmosphere. A small raised area with an open fire adds to the warmth and cosiness of the space, making it a welcoming spot for locals to dine and relax. The room is equipped with a pool table, multiple TVs showing live sports, and a small DJ area with facilities for live music, karaoke, and quizzes, making it ideal for a variety of entertainment options. The bar area is adults-only, with hardwood floors, high bar stools, and bench seating around the windows, complemented by darts boards and a second pool table. TVs displaying live sports add to the vibrant and lively games room atmosphere.

There is a well-equipped catering kitchen on site, perfect for preparing meals for the main bar and snacks for the bar area. Outside, a small decking area offers a pleasant view of the expansive garden, which includes covered huts and a large grassed area, ideal for hosting events during the warmer months. The pub also benefits from a car park both at the rear and front of the building providing convenient parking for guests.

Trading Style: The Alexandra is primarily a wet-led pub, with a strong emphasis on offering excellent drinks, including a variety of cask ales. While the pub is predominantly focused on its drinks, it also provides a midweek food offer and traditional Sunday roasts, with the pub’s wet sales outpacing the dry by an 80/20 split. The drinks menu complements the food offerings, ensuring that guests can enjoy a well-rounded experience. In addition to being a popular spot for the locals, the Alexandra has the capacity to host private functions and events, with seating available for approximately 100 guests. This makes it an ideal location for gatherings, celebrations or corporate events. The pub also fosters a strong sense of community, supporting local sports teams, and offering entertainment through darts and pool and live music at the weekends.

The current licensees of the pub are particularly community-focused, and their welcoming approach has been well-received by the locals, contributing to the pub’s role as a beloved hub in Darwen.

Accommodation: The private accommodation consists of four bedrooms, living room, kitchen and a bathroom all in good condition.

Financial:

• Annual Rent: £19,500
• Security Deposit: £5,000
• Working Capital: £3,000
• Stock: £3,000
• Fixtures and Fittings: To be confirmed upon valuation–funding options may be available for the right licensee.

Tie: All drinks categories are tied. For fully funded licensees on long term agreements, we offer free-of-tie options for certain drinks categories in exchange for an annual fee.

BDM Vision: The Alexandra is already a highly regarded pub, known as a popular community hub. Building on its strong reputation, Admiral Taverns is looking for a dynamic and experienced licensee to take it to the next level. The ideal candidate will be passionate about enhancing the pub’s offerings, particularly in drinks and food, ensuring an exceptional experience for all customers. A keen eye for detail, a commitment to high service levels, and an effective social media marketing strategy will be key to pushing this pub’s success even further.

The licensee will be responsible for maintaining the pub’s welcoming, inclusive atmosphere, putting customers first and fostering a friendly, community-driven space. They will also excel at establishing relationships with local charities and community groups, using the pub as a venue to support and champion local causes. Organising regular events, such as league team games, darts, and pool tournaments, will be vital to keeping the pub buzzing with energy. Additionally, the licensee will establish a strong weekly rhythm of activities, including quizzes, live music, and other entertaining events that will appeal to a wide range of people. A solid understanding of marketing and social media is essential to promote these events and foster a sense of community.

This is an exciting opportunity to take the reins of a thriving pub, enhance its offerings and contribute to its growth within the local community.