Salford-based brewery and pub retailer Hydes has appointed an experienced general manager to run its newly acquired premium dining pub on the Wirral.
Roy Wilson will lead the team at The Harry Beswick in Heswall. The new pub restaurant, which will open its doors for the first time this Autumn, will create up to 40 new jobs.
With almost a decade of experience with Hydes at some of its most successful premium dining pubs, Roy previously managed The Hornsmill in Helsby, near Chester since 2018. Prior to this, he was at The Jolly Thresher in Lymm.
Hydes acquired the building earlier this year, which will see the conversion of the town’s former police station into a premium dining and drinking establishment. The Harry Beswick on Telegraph Road is named in honour of the original architect of the building.
The £1.3million acquisition of the Harry Beswick building is Hydes’ first property acquisition in over five years. The building has been empty for several years and is currently undergoing a £2.3m transformation. It was originally built in 1911 and was the town’s police station for over a century.
New general manager Roy Wilson, commented: “I know Heswall very well so the chance to establish and run The Harry Beswick from scratch is a major opportunity for me in terms of furthering my career with Hydes. Operating The Hornsmill for the past five years has been a great experience and to turn it into the successful operation that it has become, under the most challenging conditions the hospitality industry has ever faced, has been extremely rewarding. I’m hoping to replicate the success I had there to ensure that The Harry Beswick is equally successful.
“The location and the building are both outstanding. This coupled with a £2 million-plus investment from Hydes will ensure its reputation for providing customers with a premium dining and drinking experience will fit in very well with the vibrant bar, restaurant and social scene in Heswall. I’m also keen to ensure that such a magnificent building will now continue in such a positive way, bringing jobs and further prosperity to the area. Thanks to Hydes, The Harry Beswick will once again become an important local community hub.”
Hydes operates nearly 50 pubs ranging from Lancaster in the North to Stoke-on Trent in the Midlands and across to North Wales including a wide selection of premium dining destination outlets, craft style bars and traditional community pubs. Hydes currently operates one other establishment on the Wirral, the Boat House in nearby Neston.
Managing director of Hydes Brewery, Adam Mayers said: “Roy is a first-class manager and has done an outstanding job at The Hornsmill over the past five years. His experience and commitment is second to none and he possesses all the key customer service attributes that Hydes looks for in its employees. His skill in building dedicated, committed teams will undoubtedly help The Harry Beswick to hit the ground running when it opens and I have no doubts that, along with the team he assembles, a loyal customer base will be very quickly established.
“We are working hard to make sure The Harry Beswick will deliver a great experience for customers with a quality, contemporary new design scheme and feel, combined with a premium dining and drinking experience and Hydes’ standards of customer service.”
The acquisition of the premises forms part of an ongoing multi-million pound 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.
Adam Mayers continued: “After being left for years, it’s great to see such an iconic building being revitalised, fully retaining its significant heritage and history, which is very important to us and our customers. Now that we have Roy in place as general manager, we’re looking forward with great excitement to building an outstanding team of kitchen, bar and serving staff in readiness for The Harry Beswick opening its doors for the first time later this year.”
Hydes, with its brewery in Media City, Salford, was formed in 1863 and supplies beers to wholesalers, pub companies and other brewers throughout the UK and a pub retailing estate of nearly 50 pubs across the North West of England and North Wales.
Anyone interested in joining the Hydes team at The Harry Beswick should register their interest by calling 07917 575256. Positions of various levels of experience are available across all areas ranging from kitchen and bar to service and front of house.
