News & Updates

Marston’s Launches New Family Pub Concept, “Woodie’s”

Featuring woodland-themed dens, outdoor play areas and a self-serve sweet factory for the kids, alongside quality pub classics, refreshing drinks and a relaxed environment for adults to enjoy.

We’re excited to announce the launch of Woodie’s, Marston’s’ new local family pub format, which is designed to create shared good times for all the family.

In line with the Group’s strategy to create differentiated pub formats that appeal to a range of consumer segments, a carefully selected group of existing pubs will be fully refurbished, transforming them into the new Woodie’s concept. The Skymaster in Warrington, Cheshire, will be the first pub rebranded as a Woodie’s, reopening at the end of July, just in time for the summer holidays.

New family-focused spaces will be created in each redesigned pub, including Woodie’s Den, a magical woodland-themed area where kids can let their imaginations run wild, with games, craft activities and special events such as discos, karaoke and quizzes. The spaces will be fitted with Marston’s exclusive event system, which will also allow streaming through built-in TVs.

When the sun is shining, children can explore Woodie’s pub gardens and let loose in new outdoor play areas, while parents can relax knowing their children are having fun in a safe environment.

The pubs will also be home to the fantastical Woodie’s Sweet Factory, a self-serve confectionery bar for children to top their desserts using a token system. Alongside this, Woodie’s will continue to offer a full food offering, which includes everyone’s favourite pub classics and Marston’s award-winning kids’ menu.

Each Woodie’s pub will also benefit from the recently introduced Marston’s ‘Order & Pay’ app, which allows guests to order from their tables ensuring they never miss a moment of family time.

In addition to the newly created family-focused areas, each Woodie’s pub will maintain the comfortable and welcoming environment that Marston’s’ local guests love, with a zoned bar and designated areas designed for adults to enjoy a relaxed drink or meal.

To best understand families’ needs and ensure both parents and kids alike have the best experience possible, Marston’s reviewed research on why parents have left restaurants early, with insights revealing that parents critiqued slow service, expensive children’s menus, a lack of healthy options and entertainment for kids, and unaccommodating staff. These insights have informed Marston’s’ Woodie’s concept, which is designed to delight the whole family through understanding families’ needs better than anyone else.

Once the renovations are complete, each Woodie’s re-opening will be celebrated with an all-day family festival, complete with bouncy castles, face painting, storytelling sessions, live music and an official ribbon cutting by a local community hero. Local families with babies born in the last 12 months will also be invited to be VIPs at the family festivals, with each baby receiving a money-can’t buy keepsake Woodie’s onesie.

And, to ensure everyone can feel part of the fabric of Woodie’s from the outset, Marston’s is offering local guests a ‘Pint For Your Past’ - giving away free pints in exchange for local stories of the pub and beyond, which will feature on each pub’s memory wall over the opening weekend.

Ed Hancock, Chief Development Officer at Marston’s, said:

“We’re really proud to introduce Woodie’s, our new local family pub format, which understands families’ needs better than anyone else.

“Built around real insights and feedback from parents and local guests alike, Woodie’s is all about making pub visits easy and enjoyable for everyone - where kids can be kids and adults can genuinely unwind. We’re sure Woodie’s will delight the whole family and be the backdrop of many get-togethers, celebrations, and special moments in our local communities over this summer and beyond.”

Woodie’s is the latest exciting new pub format introduced by Marston’s this year, building on the recent launch of Grandstand - its innovative new Locals Sport pub format - featuring big screens, market-leading event technology and special offers to delight local guests and sports fans.