A WARRINGTON family is fast becoming synonymous with the town's beer scene with the launch of a new pub tomorrow, Thursday.

Allen Wilkinson is opening Bear and Bottle in Mersey Street and has described it as his comeback after being away from the trade for a year.

The Orford Avenue resident has transformed the former Adelphi Vaults into a craft beer pub.

He will also be opening a bottle shop in February with 120 varieties of beer on sale that will be displayed on the wall in an original way using Japanese bike clips.

Allen said: "My nickname is Black Bear and I wanted a bottle shop so I put the two together. We want to keep it as a good local for people who used to drink here.

"But we've modernised the decor so it's cosy rather than feeling like you're sticking to the carpets."

It has been a good year for the Wilkinsons with Allen's brother Mike opening Hop Co in Bold Street and his brother John winning an award for Latchford's 4Ts brewery's stout at Cheshire Beer Festival.

Allen, a former William Beamont High School pupil, added: "We're not trying to take over Warrington. We just want to change people's perspective on beer.

"Hop Co has just opened, 9 Gallon, which Mike also owns, is doing well, my nephew Matty runs The Tavern and my nephew Jack works there.

"It's great to see what's happening in Warrington now with the Cultural Quarter, the Bridge Street development and the Old Fish Market where people are going to eat.

"Now we just want to make people aware of all the beer varieties out there. We want to put that in people's eyeline."

To that end, Bear and Bottle will offer six cask ales, six craft beers on draught, three ciders, three bitters and five lagers.

The new decor is also a celebration of beer with the names of international craft breweries painted onto the walls.

This includes various breweries with 'bear' in the name like Bearpaw River and Boxing Bear while Bath's Electric Bear Brewing Co is a regular on Allen's taps.

Allen and his brother Mike spent around four months transforming the pub with the help of friends. They did it all themselves except for the plastering work and external paint job.

The 43-year-old said: "We've had a lot of support from friends who often came straight from work to help and weren't afraid to get stuck in. Special thanks go to Karen Broadhead and Damian White."

Before taking on Bear and Bottle, Allen was the licensee at The Tavern in Church Street for 16 years.

His original plan was to leave his job to go travelling in Canada but everything changed when he had to have a major stomach bypass operation at Spire Hospital in August 2015.

This led to him shedding eight stone.

"It saved my life and it changed my life," added Allen.

"I'm never going to be a small character but I was far too big when I left The Tavern. I'm back and I'm fighting fit. This is my comeback."