Lancaster wine bar shuts to make way for gin palace

Oscar's Wine Bar & Bistro in Lancaster has closed to make way for a new Hogarths Gin Palace and a £720,000 revamp.
Oscar's Wine Bar and Bistro in Lancaster.Oscar's Wine Bar and Bistro in Lancaster.
Oscar's Wine Bar and Bistro in Lancaster.

The premises in George Street closed suddenly last week, leaving staff, and people who had booked parties there, wondering what was going on.

So far no-one from Oscar’s has responded to our requests for comment.

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Osca’rs is run by Oscar’s Wine Bar Ltd, based in Swinton, south Yorkshire.

The family run firm also has two other establishments in York.

In 2015, it was fined £100,000 after a Heysham woman drank a cocktail at the Lancaster establishment which contained liquid nitrogen, and subsequently had to have her stomach removed.

On Tuesday, September 5, Blackpool based Amber Taverns confirmed it had purchased the freehold of the property.

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Operations manager Gary Roberts said: “The plan is to invest over £720,000 in an internal development to transform the business into a Hogarths Gin Palace.

“We currently have 11 Hogarths – the closest being in Preston and Bolton.

“We are trying to open in December and will start recruiting in about six to eight weeks.

“Any former staff are welcome to apply for various roles, as we will need three to four full time staff and around 20 part time staff.”

Mr Roberts said Hogarths stock around 150 different gins, cocktails, with craft and cask ales and live sport.