The Belle Vue Pub & Hotel Changes its Image

They’re a friendly bunch and pride themselves on giving the warmest of welcomes. They’re committed to seeking out the very best quality fresh ingredients for their menus – including vegan and vegetarian options – at prices that are honest and fair. They’re a real part of the local community in Blackpool too, proud to help fundraise for charities and offer their function area free of charge to locals and groups.

So whether you’re up for a party, watching sport with mates, meeting with friends and family for great value pub food & drink or just relaxing and taking the time to unwind, The Belle Vue is the pub putting the sizzle in Blackpool. At The Belle Vue, you’ll find everything you’d expect from a traditional local pub in Blackpool – but with a bit of added sizzle. Why not take a well deserved night off from cooking and enjoy their famous sizzling skillets, flame-grilled burgers or take advantage of our great value daily offers.

One of the pub’s many features is its very large car park, which fills up quickly but there’s almost always a space available. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

The transformation from its past began 11 February 2006, when it closed for a month long transformation into the food-focused ‘community pub’ that it is today.

The inside of the pub as it is today. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

The inside of the pub as it is today. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

Prior to being a Sizzling Pub, a brand from Mitchells & Butlers Leisure Retail Ltd, the pub and hotel used to be on of many owned and operated by Bass Taverns. Bass brought it into the modern age by developing its food offering from just packets of potato crisps. But its main draw during Bass Taverns’s reign had to be that it was a very popular music venue, a place for local bands to get good exposure. It attracted the likes of Robbie Williams to make a promo video there, as well as David Hoyle, known as a performance artist for his avant-garde cabaret, satirical comedy, and thought-provoking work on LGBTQ+ issues.

The phone number on the promotional card shown above is a giveaway for how long ago these acts appeared at The Belle Vue. The calendar on the back shows just how busy the venue was in the late 1990s. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

Just to the left of the Belle Vue in the 1960s was a petrol garage. Its art deco facade was retained by Sainsburys when they had their new store built in its place. However, since then the unit has been occupied by the COOP and more recently by Morrisons. The photo above was taken in ’61 or ’62 by Alistair Parker.

Here’s a look at the Marton Vambac tram passing the Belle Vue garage on Whitegate Drive, opposite the Belle Vue Pub/Hotel, circa 1961/1962. © Colin E Macleod. For more terrific images taken by Colin, have a look on Flickr. This image has been colourised by © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd.