RECENTLY named as one of Wirral CAMRA’s ‘Lockdown Heroes’ for their efforts to keep going these past 18 months, staff at The Red Fox in Thornton Hough are understandably proud of their achievements.

After shutting up shop during the first lockdown, the second lockdown saw landlord Dave Green and his team begin a click and collect service selling takeaway food and cask ale.

“We really felt we needed to do something to look after both ourselves and our community,” said Dave. “I’m so glad we did it. We’re a pub and to us a pub should be at the heart of the community and we really wanted to give something back and rally the troops.”

The pub became very active on social media with Dave happy to play the fool on Facebook in a effort to lift spirits.

“There was very much an attitude that if we all came together we could get through this,” he said. “The locals really responded to it and we had a lot of fun.”

Dave was keen on innovation too and opened a pub space for drinkers only which allowed the Red Fox to comply with social distancing rules. An outside bar was also developed and in April this year when pubs did begin reopening, a marquee set up in the grounds proved hugely popular.

Dave said: “When everyone was eating and drinking at home I remember thinking ‘what is the future of the pub?’

“But then you saw the demand for our marquee which was full even when it was freezing cold and pouring with rain. What we’ve learnt is that people want the interaction of a pub and we were selling more beer than we’ve ever sold. It was just lovely to get everybody back.”

Unsurprisingly Dave is feeling positive about the pub’s future now.

“We celebrate our seventh birthday next week and I’ve been here from day one,” he added. “It’s currently better than it’s ever been and we’re about to have our best year ever.”