Historic pub becomes one of the few independent pubs in Salford

After a £1.4 million restoration, a Grade II listed pub in Salford has become one of the few independently run pubs in Salford.

The team recently announced at The Black Friar, that they will be taking full ownership of the 147-year-old pub after its huge success since re-opening in 2021.

Managing director, Neil Burke, 43, was brought on board to help the pub “get off the ground” after the historic pub sat derelict on Black Friars Rd for two decades.

Neil said: “After six months I really saw the potential. I fell in love with it really.

“I fell in love with the community, the people who come see us, the people living on our doorstep and just the idea of bringing what had been a well known, well established pub into the 21st century and giving it a new lease of life.” 

As the pub is now independently owned Neil has the freedom to do whatever he wants “food, drink and décor wise.”

Neil added: “Ultimately I’ve got the freedom to do whatever I want, when you’re restricted by a brewery you don’t have that, you’ve got their beers and their beers come with their cider and their business.”

Making full use of their freedom, The Black Friar has attempted to touch base with possibly the older generation of locals through the old famous bitter, Boddingtons.

Neil added: “It’s kind of died off a bit, but we make sure to buy and we get loads of older generations or people who just love the beer who come in specifically for Boddingtons and if we were part of a big group we wouldn’t be able to do something like that you know.”

The Black Friar prides themselves on being a “predominantly local” pub. In fact, 70 per cent of The Black Friar’s 50 members of staff are from the surrounding area.

Neil added: “I try my best to recruit people from the Salford area because again I want staff who know regulars, who know people and recognise names. 

“Having people who live and work on the doorstep of the pub is important.”

Now, the pub is co-owned by Neil and the head chef Ben Chaplin who have both watched The Black Friar pub go from “strength to strength”.