EACH week, we shine the spotlight on some great venues across East Lancashire where our readers love to socialise with family and friends.

This time we have headed to The Pendle Inn in Burnley for our Pub of the Week feature.

Name of the pub

The Pendle Inn

Address of the pub:

Barley Lane, Burnley

Landlord/landlady name:

Stuart Nichols

How long have you been the landlord/landlady for?

12 years

Bar staff and their names:

Emma Schofield, Sam Roscoe, Lee Hudson, Hollie Dinsdale and Elizabeth Nutter.

Give us some history about the pub

The Pendle Inn sits at the heart of Barley village in Lancashire. Part of family-owned hospitality group, Daniel Thwaites, The Pendle Inn was acquired by the company in January 2020. Featuring an abundance of character, charm and views across Pendle Hill, the pub provides the perfect base for locals while also attracting over 70,000 ramblers, cyclists, groups and families each year.

Is food served? Is so what’s on the menu?

Using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, The Pendle Inn’s main menu offers a selection of traditional, home-cooked favourites with signature dishes including homemade Pendle pie as well as chicken Sinatra. A weekly specials menu also offers guests an alternative option to its traditional starters and main meals, which is especially appealing to locals who choose to dine at The Pendle Inn often. All desserts are now made in-house.

Is there a beer garden

Due to its fantastic village location, The Pendle Inn is fortunate to have a beer garden that caters for 180 people and is situated at the front of the property, providing breathtaking views of the Barley countryside.

Do you have any darts/snooker/pool teams

We do host a monthly quiz night for those who want to test their trivia knowledge.

Most popular drink served is:

Thwaites Gold – which is brewed at Daniel Thwaites head office in nearby Mellor, followed closely by Pride of Pendle ale from Moorhouses Brewery.

Most memorable moment at the pub

Navigating through lockdown and Covid restrictions - especially when Daniel Thwaites had only acquired the pub two months prior - was definitely a surreal moment, to say the least. However, when we were finally given the green light by the government to re-open and welcome back both new and regular customers, it was a moment I’ll never forget.

Do you have an entertainment line-up?

Besides dining, there’s plenty for guests to do at The Pendle Inn. Every month we host our Big Pub quiz night and as we fast-approach Christmas, we’re set to feature up-and-coming local musicians on Friday and Saturday evenings. Throughout the year, we also offer mediumship events which allow customers to enjoy a delicious supper and pre-book 1-2-1 psychic reading sessions. With our location being so synonymous with the Pendle witches, this makes for a truly unique experience.

Have you faced any challenges within the industry

Following on from Covid restrictions, alongside many other hospitality businesses we found that many people left the industry to re-train in other sectors so ultimately recruiting for these roles has been a new challenge.

The best thing about running a pub is

The people. Working in a pub, we get to meet guests (and dogs) from all walks of life – whether they’re visiting the area from afar or a local resident, we love welcoming and getting to know our customers.

The team is also what makes The Pendle Inn so special. Seeing some of our part-time staff and apprentices grow and develop their skills during their time with us…there’s no feeling quite like it.