Family acquires historic Oldham pub with RBS support

A 16th-century pub near Oldham is now owned by a local family after they secured funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

The Diggle Hotel in Saddleworth has been acquired by husband and wife team Stephen and Lynn Shaw, along with chef James Mellor, who is Lynn’s brother.

They intend to run the pub with members of their family, with Stephen and Lynn’s son Matthew coming on board as cellar manager and kitchen assistant, while his girlfriend Becca Avery is joining the company as a bar manager. James’ partner Rhia Page, meanwhile, will be taken on as a wine advisor.

RBS provided the new owners with an undisclosed loan to facilitate the acquisition.

Lynn said: “We are really pleased that we have been able to acquire this historic venue and are really looking forward to settling in and meeting our new customers.

“Stephen and I have both worked in the licensing industry and also successfully ran a community pub for over 11 years so we are well experienced in the business.”

She added: “My brother James is also a chef at a popular Manchester restaurant and will be working here full time along with local chef Jamie Brown, to develop the food side and introduce new menus.”

With a history stretching back to the early 1500s and the time of King Henry VIII, The Diggle Hotel has four bedrooms in addition to a bar, beer garden, dining area and a children’s centre.

Lynn continued: “The Diggle Hotel is very popular in the area and we hope to continue to build on this and attract more customers through the doors.

“Whilst we don’t have any plans for major renovations we will be redecorating and refreshing the building. In time we also hope to modernise the bedrooms and make other minor improvements as we go along.”

Speaking further, Lynn praised the support that RBS relationship manager Steve Cooper provided during the acquisition process.

Commenting on the pub’s change in ownership, Steve Cooper said: “Lynn, Stephen and James are well experienced in the industry and I am pleased we have been able to support them with this venture.

“The Diggle Hotel is an excellent venue and the team will no doubt make it a great success.”