Hydes brewery invests £3.6m in new Wirral site

Hydes, a leading North West brewery and pub retailer has acquired premises in Heswall, on the Wirral, Merseyside, and is set to open a new pub restaurant that will create at least 35 jobs.

Salford-based Hydes brewery has acquired the building on Telegraph Road, which will see the conversion of the town’s former police station into a premium dining and drinking establishment. Hydes has also chosen to name the pub ‘The Harry Beswick’ in honour of the original architect of the building.

Born in Chester in 1856, Harry Beswick was county architect for Chester from 1895 until 1926, responsible for designing over 40 buildings including numerous police stations and school buildings.

The £1.3m acquisition of the building is Hydes’ first property acquisition in over five years. The building has been empty for several years and over the next few months will be transformed into a premium pub dining venue.

Hydes intends to invest over £2.3m in the restoration and refurbishment. It will open in late 2023 with a 35-strong team of fully trained staff.

The transformation of the building will be carried out by WHB Construction and designed by DV8 Architects. The building will undergo a sympathetic and complementary renovation programme, retaining many of the original features, with design enhancements and touches reflecting the station’s history.

Part of the renovations will be to extend the building to create new dining zones, including outside dining with the addition of a welcoming sun facing terrace and the provision of car parking. 

Managing director of Hydes Brewery, Adam Mayers, said: “The Harry Beswick is a great location in a stunningly designed building boasting real history and character. Heswall is a thriving area and launching the Harry Beswick opens us up to new audiences.  

The acquisition forms part of an ongoing multi-million investment programme across the Hydes’ estate over the next few years. Last year, Hydes committed over £4.5m to refurbishments of pubs across its estate and it intends to increase that investment substantially throughout 2023.

Mayers said: “It’s great to see after years of closure the building being developed, fully retaining its heritage and history, which is very important to us and our customers. As one of our premium pub dining pubs we’re confident that customers will love the Harry Beswick and also see it as a lasting honour to one of the area’s famous local residents.  

“Hydes remains totally committed to all of the pubs across its estate and this latest investment is part of an ongoing programme of planned investment, redesigns and refurbishments. Providing our customers with a quality, memorable experience is a top priority, and we’re delighted to have secured such a stunning presence in Heswall.”