A BAR in Horwich has stopped taking bookings for its outside area due to a swathe of ‘no-shows’.

The Brewery Bar, a tap house for Blackedge Brewing Company, in Hampson Street, reopened on April 14 in line with the easing of lcokdown restrictions allowing outdoor hospitality to reopen.

The bar opened the back yard of its site as well as installing more tables in the front of its bar in order to fully accommodate more customers coming for outdoor service.

The brewers also went out of its way to install cover for the outdoor areas to make it viable in all weather conditions.

Bookings have been taken but the bar has now announced they will stop amid a number of ‘no shows’.

A spokesman said: "With immediate effect we are no longer accepting bookings. All existing bookings will be honoured.

“We will now operate on a normal walk in first come first served basis. This is due to the sheer number of calls and e-mails that we don’t have capacity to deal with and booking no shows!”

Bosses say they are reliant on "bums on seats" after such a tough trading year.

Hospitality businesses in Bolton have been closed for longer than anywhere else in England during the coronavirus pandemic due to local restrictions imposed on the region, and the borough itself, through 2020.

Blackedge Brewery, established by Wayne Roper and Shaun Reynolds in 2011, appealed to the government in September 2020 as they were forced to pour huge amounts of beer down the drain and furlough many members of staff due to lockdown restrictions.

The Brewery Bar is still open for walk-ins, with Blackedge’s other bar, The Brewery Tap in Market Street, Westhoughton, open for takeaway drinks.