Owner of nine pubs in Wirral and North Wales, Stange & Co, secures £190,000 finance deal with Bathgate Business Finance to transform the Ring O Bells in West Kirby. Tony McDonough reports

Wirral pub group Stange & Co has secured a £190,000 finance deal with Bathgate Business Finance and is using the money to upgrade a popular West Kirby venue.

Stange & Co acquired The Ring O Bells in January 2020. It is one of nine pubs owned by the company in Wirral and North Wales. They also include The Jug & Bottle in Heswall, The Ship in Parkgate and The Fox & Hounds in Barnston.

Work with architects and planning teams continued on The Ring O Bells during lockdown, before refurbishment work and addition of a garden room extension was able to take place.

As a large venue, employing around 50 members of staff from the local area, the kitchen fit-out was a sizable task, requiring significant investment and a more flexible and timely finance package than traditional lenders were able to provide.

Dan McLennan, managing director at Stange & Co, said: “To fit out a kitchen in a large venue like the Ring O Bells we needed funding that was quicker turnaround, and more flexible. We didn’t want to sit on lots of money.

“We have worked with Gordon and Esther from Bathgate since 2016 now, and they have a deep understanding of our pubs and our business, so we didn’t hesitate to turn to them to help us find a solution for the Ring O Bells.”

That deal with Bathgate, which is also based in West Kirby, took just less than two weeks to secure and pay out. The Ring O Bells was able to open with its fully fitted-out kitchen, within six weeks of the deal.

Esther Rigby, business development manager at Bathgate, added: “Having worked with Dan and the team at Stange & Co for more than eight years now, we really do have an understanding and passion for their business.

“The fact that the Ring O Bells is just around the corner from our own offices, and already having a great positive impact on our local community, is an added bonus.

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“It is fantastic to see the pub thriving and a great honour to be able to visit and raise a glass to Dan and all his team. We’re looking forward to continuing to watch the group expand further, and offer our support wherever we can.”

Bathgate is an independent, privately owned ‘business-to-business’ finance provider. Established in 1991 as Bathgate Leasing, it has since developed into a fully-fledged business finance provider serving the SME market.