Plau Bar, Friargate, Preston

Built in 1663 as a butcher’s shop, then converted into a pub in 1793, this historic building fell out of use in 1903, and it would be another 103 years before it was re-established as a pub when husband and wife team Jeremy and Rebecca Rowland took on its restoration in 2014. Phase 2 of their building restoration led to the discovery of a subterranean gin distillery.

The interior was designed by Preston-based interior design specialists The Artistry House who, given the age and history of the property, deemed that a sensitive restoration was paramount. Consequently, our extensive stock of reclaimed bricks, reclaimed stone and reclaimed timbers for flooring and walls came into its own.

Today, Plau offers three venues in one large space in Preston - a sophisticated cocktail bar, a vaulted basement space in the former gin distillery for its Rivington craft beers; and Fino offering a touch of Spanish tapas in its informal dining spaces. Each of these spaces showcases how reclaimed building materials can be repurposed to create remarkable interior spaces that create warmth and texture, while giving a nod to their significant heritage.