Star Pubs’ ongoing multi-million pound campaign to upgrade its UK pub estate has reached Dumbarton, where The Waverley pub in the town’s Bridgend is temporarily closing its doors for a £150,000 revamp.
Famed for having once been run by Scottish football legend Drew Busby, The Waverley is now under the care of Carl Fenton and his partner Margaret Donnelly, who reopened the venue in April of this year after it had been closed for six months, following what was described by Star Pubs as ‘a string of other closures and changes of operator’.
Since then, the duo have been working on reviving the pub’s fortunes, introducing a new programme of events and re-engaging with the local community – and having established that there is local support for The Waverley, the plan now is to refurbish the building and the business for a long-term future.
With 18 years’ experience in hospitality, Fenton had been looking for a pub of his own for nearly a year when The Waverley caught his eye: “When I walked through the doors, The Waverley just felt right; I knew it was the one. Our ambition from the outset has been to get it back to its glory days when it was a hub of the community.
“Residents clearly value having a good local.,” said Fenton. “We’ve been overwhelmed by their support – regulars who haven’t been in for years are returning alongside new faces, and people of all ages are enjoying The Waverley again.
“Taking the pub on has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. Margaret and I adore it and appreciate all the backing we’ve had from locals. The refurbishment will be a great way of thanking them.
Heineken-owned Star Pubs previously announced that it would be spending £40m upgrading its UK pub estate in 2025, including £4.5m earmarked for its Scottish venues, and there have since been a number of high profile refurbishments, renovations and reopenings.
The planned work at The Waverley is intended to ‘upgrade the tired pub into a top-notch local boasting one of the largest beer gardens in the vicinity’, with a view to reopening in early December in time for festive trade.
The outside of the building will be completely renovated, with new lighting added, window grills removed, and new signage displaying pictures of the paddle steamer after which the pub is named.
The pub’s walled beer garden – which backs onto the River Leven – will have a mini-makeover, too, with new planting and furniture.
Inside, The Waverley will get new decor that ‘brings out its character and cosiness’, incorporating decorative wallpaper and feature lighting with more nautical touches nodding to that paddle steamer.
Other improvements will include extending the bar and overhauling the cellar with Heineken’s state-of-the-art dispense equipment.
But Fenton stressed that the pub’s history was not being erased: “Many of our regulars have fond memories of the time when Drew was at the helm. We’re aiming to carry on his legacy and, in tribute, we’re saving a prominent position for a photograph of Drew and his framed shirt.”
Star Pubs’ business development manager Iain Gibson added: “Carl and Margaret have done a fantastic job of bringing The Waverley back to life and building up a following from scratch.
“We’re delighted to be helping them take it to the next level and giving it a quality look to match all they’re doing. We’ll be working flat out to reopen in time for the start of the festive season.
“It’ll be all new inside from the furniture to the flooring – we hope that customers will feel like Christmas has come early.”
