Lostock Hall - Lostock Ale

Name: Lostock Ale

Address: Tardy Gate, Lostock Hall

Lostock Ale c.2021

Lostock Ale is located opposite the Pleasant Retreat on the pedestrianised shopping row at Tardy Gate.

The opening of Lostock Hall’s first micropub in January 2020 was exciting news and has proved to be a great addition to the real ale scene in the village. For landlord, Ray McLaughlin this was a fresh venture, and no-one could have predicted just how challenging it would be, as months later we saw the arrival of the pandemic and first lockdown.

The opportunity to run his own pub was not something he’d necessarily had much time to think about over the years, as by day he’d worked as a gas engineer and by night, a doorman in Preston’s city centre. He did the latter for over 20 years, and it was through his contacts there that he was offered his first opportunity to run a pub, Barney’s Piano Bar on Church Street. In his own words, this was a “baptism of fire”, as he’d never worked behind a bar or even collected glasses before, but undeterred he decided to give it a go and no doubt learned a huge amount along the way. However, Barney’s had never played a significant role in the real ale scene in Preston and maybe this was a contributory factor in Ray returning to his day job…as a life-long fan of real ale there was clearly something more exciting around the corner!

Landlord, Ray McLaughlin

Following retirement a few years later it was his son who suggested he consider running his own micropub. Unlike taking over a traditional pub there’s no real “blueprint” in place and a whole host of things to consider not least the location/venue, planning applications and timing, but when the unit on Hope Terrace in the heart of Lostock Hall came available in 2019 this proved to be too good an opportunity to miss and the business of setting up Lostock Ale began.  

From first opening it was clear that this was a genuine free house with a landlord who wanted to give his customers a social venue where they could sample some great ales from around the country, particularly from north-west breweries and with six handpumps across the bar there was something to cater for all tastes. This started out as a single-roomed pub, but space was limited particularly at the weekends so despite several lockdowns, business was going well and a pavement license was successfully applied for, expanding the venue. However, not one to stop there, later in 2021 Ray successfully took over the unit next door, previously the home of Age Concern, providing a large room that can be used either as a function room or for additional customer seating at busier times, with a raised stage area also planned to accommodate live music events.

This is a real community-focused pub at the heart of the village, and the function room is already attracting interest from a wide range of local organisations including guide dogs training, a group for deaf and hard of hearing (following the closing of Deafway) and local councilors, to name just a few. If the last 18 months are anything to go by Ray is setting about redefining the word “micropub” and his drive to develop the business is clear for all to see, as is the charitable nature of the customers, the pub having already raised £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support through a coffee morning and £300 for Derian House Children’s Hospice through donations from Santa's grotto.  

Despite challenging times Lostock Ale continues to go from strength to strength and is a truly deserving recipient of the Central Lancs CAMRA Pub of the Season Award for Winter 2021. 

(Article taken from Central Lancashire CAMRA Ale Cry Magazine)