The Deacon, Lytham St Annes

The Deacon, in Lytham St Annes, takes pride of place in the historic centre of the town, occupying the old RBS bank. It has achieved a beautiful balance of original period features and character with crisp modern styling and serves a popular menu of high-end drinks and crowd-pleasing dishes. The owners wanted to maximise the potential of its outdoor footprint.

The key challenge of this project was creating a design that would both complement and enhance the rich historical character of the building, whilst producing an architectural statement to attract passing trade. Due to planning constraints a retractable roof was not possible, so working in conjunction with both the owners and local council, we advised a fixed glass roof system with retractable glass walls for flexible sun-room dining. We combined this with an open-air seating area surrounded by freestanding planters and retractable glass screen planters and a traditional Victorian box awning. Bespoke solutions to attract the customers, and the revenue, flowing in.

Our team of expert installation engineers travelled with the manufactured systems from our production facility in Bolton to the site, following the construction of the foundation slab, the roof structure would rest on. Working on an historic building such as this requires a delicate. The structural supports were cemented into place, then the rest of the roof system was constructed upon those, and finally fixed and bolted to the existing building to ensure a safe and watertight seal.

The areas we created transformed the revenue potential of the business, adding over 100 covers during good weather, and an additional 60 covers all year round come rain or shine. Not only did these new areas offer incredible return on investment, they also added crowd-drawing spaces for customers to enjoy and relax. Two distinct solutions creating two elegant new areas, and one big win for The Deacon. This has meant more customers, with the new build always the first area to be fully booked, and the owners have seen the financial benefits follow.

James Robertshaw. We don’t just find the solution. We create it.