The Mallard pub in Liverpool’s Southport has rebranded and reopened with a completely new look and face at the helm.
Publican, Danielle Hunt, first entered The Mallard this March, and during her short time there has transformed and rebranded the pub, giving it a completely new name.
When she first set eyes on the former Champs sports bar, Danielle was initially underwhelmed. She said: “The pub just couldn’t have worked how it was, and it certainly wasn’t somewhere I could move the team into. So, with our small but mighty army, family, friends, and a dozen mood boards, we shut the doors and set to work.
“We went home, sat down, and thought about what we could do and change to be able to call it our own. We had a vision, albeit an ambitious one, but we knew, with Punch’s support, hard work, determination and our family around us, we could make it work.”
Thanks to her clear vision, and support from Punch, Danielle managed to close the doors, gut the interior, and rebuild it from the ground up, in just nine days.
The renovation was extensive, involving new stone flooring, decorative wallpaper, dark oak furniture, and updated lighting and fixtures. The result is a warm, inviting atmosphere with muted hues of sage green and cream – a stark contrast to the former sports bar’s bright, bold colours.
The kitchen also received a complete overhaul, ensuring the pub could offer a high-quality dining experience. This transformation allowed Danielle to create a space where her team, whom she considers family, can thrive and be proud of their workplace.
Danielle said: “We were lucky enough to have an excellent food following in our last pub, and we wanted to continue this at our new premises, but we needed the right environment to execute it. We had to close the kitchen for five weeks to see our vision come to life, but I’m so proud to say we did it!
“Collectively, we’ve created a menu for everyone with freshly made dishes sourced from local suppliers. We’ve nailed our winter menu, and without advertising, we are fully booked for Christmas Day, too! With hard work and consistency, we knew we could make it work.”
Running a pub that truly lies at the heart of the community is Danielle’s purpose, and as the only pub in the village, she embraced the challenge with open arms.
She continued: “The hardest part was getting the community to buy into our new concept. The team and I aren’t from the immediate area, so the regulars would see us as new people, taking over and quite literally turning their only village pub upside down.
“We knew the history of Champs, and we knew that the community had been promised so much, but having taken on that challenge and responsibility to be the ones to transform it, there was no looking back. We had committed to offering something bigger and better, and we wouldn’t have made any promises that we couldn’t have seen through, so for us, it was time for a fresh start, a rename and a rebrand, and that’s where The Mallard came in.”
Danielle chose to rebrand Champs to The Mallard inspired by the pub’s proximity to the renowned Ainsdale Nature Reserve, as well as in homage to the local Mallard train.
She expressed: “For us, the pub isn’t just somewhere you go to eat or drink, it’s a place where people come to socialise. We’re the hub, and our priority was in giving the locals what they wanted – consistency, great choices, delivered to the highest standard.”
In just seven months, Danielle and the team have not only completely transformed the Ainsdale pub but also firmly cemented it as the heart of the village; their reviews speak for themselves, and their pub business is booming.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your plans come to life,” Danielle said. It’s a pinch-me moment every time I drive up to the pub, and I don’t think that will ever change. We are all so proud of what we’ve achieved and we’re all so excited for what’s to come.”
