The Bricklayers in Parr Street, Poole, was built so those constructing St Peter's church would have somewhere to drink and wind down after a hard day's work.

Outside the pub

Now, 155 years later, the pub is owned by Jan Crump, who took over nearly three years ago.

Jan said: "The pub has got a lot of history, and when we took over, we didn’t want to change the name, so we kept it as The Bricklayers.

"Two years ago we did a big refurbishment to make the front of the building look like it did back in the olden days. We didn’t want to do anything straight away, so we got feedback from the pub’s locals beforehand and let them have a say in the refurbishment. The garden has been done up also.

Customers in the pub (pre-Covid)

"We have managed to keep all the locals and bring in more too.

"We are a traditional pub with a modern twist, and everyone here knows everyone. We have a mix of age groups come here as everyone is welcome. There is a nice, friendly, community vibe.

"Since taking over, this is the first time food has been properly introduced to the pub. Because we are independent, we can reinvent our food and make it different to normal pub food.

Delicious food at the pub

"We make all our food in house."

The pub's food is an integral part of the business, and the introduction of the 'Cheesy Does It' menu has been a big success.

The 'Cheesy Does It' menu includes a variety of dishes, including grilled cheese sandwiches, ‘buns out burgers’ and a 'mac 'n' cheese bar'.

It also offers savoury waffles, desserts and fresh salad bowls.

One of the pub's sweet waffle dishes

But, tasty food is not the only thing on the pub's menu.

Jan said: "We offer cocktails and other drinks from our outdoor bar in the garden. We have lots of real ales, lagers and ciders so there is something for everyone. We go through a lot of local real ales.

"We also have a lot of different deals on throughout the week and offer brunch and bottomless brunch.

One of the many drinks served at The Bricklayers

"We adapt with the times and we are very responsive when it comes to new food and drink. As an independent pub we can respond to the market trends and we listen to our customers."

To find out more, visit: https://www.facebook.com/bricklayersashleycross

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