Double dates in the diary for Lune Valley pub

The general manager of a historic country pub is celebrating two momentous career successes this week.

Not only has Tom Wilkinson, of The Fenwick, been recognised in a prestigious national award, he is also set to see the fruition of adding nine stunning bedrooms to the Claughton site.

Owned by the award-winning Seafood Pub Company, which boasts six other venues across Lancashire, the pub will be the fourth in the group to feature accommodation, alongside the Assheton Arms in Downham, the Derby Arms in Longridge, and the Barley Mow in Pendle.

Managing director of the group, Joycelyn Neve, said: “We’re really looking forward to the launch of our accommodation at the Fenwick”

“It’s been on the cards for a while and after careful consideration, planning and research, we’re sure that guests are going to love the new offering.”

General manager Tom Wilkinson, who has been with the company since 2013, has also been proudly shortlisted for Front of House Manager of the Year at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards 2016, for his enthusiasm and passion for the industry. He will learn his fate at a prestigious awards ceremony in London, which will be presented by Tom Kerridge.

“I was absolutely over the moon when I learned I had been shortlisted; it’s been a really busy time at the Fenwick as we prepare to launch the bedrooms, so recognition such as this is hugely rewarding for both myself and the Seafood Pub Company,” Tom added.

At over 250 years old, The Fenwick has a colourful past. Back in the 1960’s, the Wray floods put the pub under five foot of water before it became the place to eat in the Lune Valley in the 1970’s. 2007 saw the Fenwick Arms, as it was then called, make an infamous appearance on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon starting a campaign for real gravy.

With several reinventions since this TV appearance, the Seafood Pub Company undertook a refurbishment of The Fenwick and reopened in May 2013 as an atmospheric gastro-pub with large open fires, low beamed ceilings and oak planked floors. Accommodation at the Fenwick will launch in January 2016; located in the beautiful Lune Valley, the Fenwick is the ideal destination to explore the nearby Forest of Bowland or visit the quirky, historic towns on its doorstep. Guests can relax, unwind and enjoy award-winning food in a cosy and comfortable setting throughout their stay.