QUICK VERDICT
Opportunity Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Pubco Amber Taverns Google Rating 4.4 stars (1,538 reviews) Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated (confirm Bolton town centre premium) Working Capital Needed £20,000–£28,000 minimum Trade Character Churchgate Bolton BL1, 2am Friday/Saturday, 1,538 reviews, Bolton town centre heritage street Best Suited To Experienced Bolton town centre operator; Churchgate BL1 is one of Bolton\’s main commercial and heritage streets Shaun\’s Rating \[ \] Watch Out For 2am Friday AND Saturday. 1,538 reviews at 4.4 stars makes this one of the strongest Hogarths sites in the estate. The 2am licence in a Bolton town centre with competition requires professional door management both nights and consistent quality delivery to a customer base that has clearly been very well served. Don\’t take over this pub and drop the standard.
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This independent assessment was prepared by SmartPubTools using the following publicly available sources:
- Pub listing data: Amber Taverns published listings — availability, agreement type and rent figures sourced directly from the pub company's own website
- Google rating & reviews: Google Places API — ratings and review counts retrieved programmatically from Google Maps data
- Local population & demographics: ONS Census 2021 — population figures, age profiles and household data
- Local employment data: NOMIS Official Labour Market Statistics — employment rates and major local employer data
- Pubs Code information: Pubs Code Adjudicator (UK Government) — tied tenant rights and MRO entitlements
- Operator perspective: SmartPubTools is operated by a working pub landlord under a Marston's Community Retail Partnership at Teal Farm Pub, Washington NE38 — assessments reflect genuine first-hand operator experience
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THE LOCAL PICTURE
Hogarths Bolton is at 37–41 Churchgate, Bolton BL1 1HU. Churchgate is one of Bolton\’s most historic streets, close to Bolton Parish Church and the main town centre commercial area. Bolton is a Greater Manchester town of approximately 192,000 people (the metropolitan borough has 278,000) with a proud cotton textile manufacturing heritage.
Churchgate\’s heritage character gives Hogarths Bolton a specific setting — an established Hogarths brand (the Beer Street painter) in a street with genuine Bolton historic character. The Bolton Wanderers FC community, the Bolton food and drink scene, and the wider Greater Manchester economy all feed Churchgate\’s hospitality trade.
1,538 reviews at 4.4 stars on Churchgate is the strongest Hogarths performance across all the sites in this series. Wetherspoons has a Bolton town centre presence.
WHAT THE PUB IS
Hogarths Bolton opens at 11am and closes at 11pm Monday to Thursday, 2am Friday and Saturday, and 11pm Sunday. The 2am Friday and Saturday licence makes this the busiest late-night profile among the Hogarths estate. At 1,538 reviews and 4.4 stars, the pub handles significant town centre volume.
The Hogarths identity — William Hogarth, painter of Beer Street and Gin Lane — has built commercial momentum in Bolton that the 1,538 reviews confirm. This is one of the pubs in the series where the reputation has become a commercial asset in its own right.
THE AMBER TAVERNS DEAL
Amber Taverns tied tenancy. Bolton\’s community market has Wetherspoons competition. Request the full price list and model honestly. Two 2am nights require professional door management. The financial model must support the quality delivery that built 1,538 reviews at 4.4 stars.
FINANCIAL REALITY
Metric Estimate Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated (confirm Churchgate premium) Working Capital Required £20,000–£28,000 (liquid; 2am weekend overhead) Agreement Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Tied Supplies Yes — request full price list; Wetherspoons competition Break-Even Timeline 12–18 months maintaining 1,538-review quality standard 1,538 Reviews at 4.4 Strongest Hogarths in the series; highest-priority preservation of quality Two 2am Nights Professional door management essential for both
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
- Independent rent assessment — exercise your Pubs Code right before signing
- Request full P&L projections from Amber Taverns before committing
- Obtain Schedule of Condition at entry — protects you on dilapidations
- Get the full tied product price list before you agree terms
- Complete Amber Taverns pre-entry training (required)
- Right to a free Market Rent Only option assessment
- Right to independent legal and financial advice before signing
WHO THIS SUITS
An experienced Bolton town centre operator who can maintain the exceptional standard that built 1,538 reviews at 4.4 stars. Not the place to experiment or change formula without clear evidence it will improve on what\’s there. Minimum £20,000 liquid capital.
WHAT WORKS / WHAT DOESN\’T
WHAT WORKS
- 1,538 reviews at 4.4 stars — the strongest brand reputation in the Hogarths estate
- Churchgate heritage setting giving Bolton Hogarths specific character
- Bolton Wanderers matchday trade and Bolton town centre evening economy
WHAT DOESN\’T WORK
- Changing a formula that has built exceptional performance without compelling evidence for improvement
WHAT YOU NEED ON DAY ONE
Quality standard understood before taking on. Door supervision for both 2am nights. EPOS at Bolton town centre pricing. Professional stocktaking from week one.
GET YOUR NUMBERS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SIGN
Before you sign anything, know your numbers.
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