Grimsby Community Pub Reopens Following Makeover
The Hope & Anchor, located on Victoria Street in Grimsby, officially reopened on Wednesday 14th October following an investment of £216,338. The pub is part of Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.
Behind the bar is passionate community hero, Darren Smith, who brings a wealth of industry experience and local knowledge to The Hope & Anchor. His expertise, combined with his energy and enthusiasm, will enable him to create a lively social hub for local residents to enjoy, further cementing the pub at the heart of the local community.
Inside, the pub has been transformed to include a fully refurbished bar area, complete with new seating, lighting, flooring and televisions – breathing a fresh lease of life into the pub. In addition, the pub has been given a more open floor plan which has improved the flow and accessibility of the space.
Outside, The Hope & Anchor hosts a refreshed beer garden with new furniture. The exterior decoration has also been updated with new signage, creating a welcoming first impression for customers.
The pub offers a wide range of premium draught lager, stout and cider. In addition to this, there is also a variety of soft drinks and spirits to ensure there is something for everyone.
Darren Smith, Operator of The Hope & Anchor, said: “It was fantastic to reopen the Hope & Anchor last week and welcome back long-time locals and newer faces. The reaction from the local community so far has been incredibly positive. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came down to support our launch, as well as the team at Proper Pubs for all their help in turning our vision for the pub into reality. We are thrilled to be back open and serving the community.”
On top of the fantastic drinks selection, the operator has planned a busy schedule of entertainment for customers to enjoy including regular live music, karaoke, quiz nights, pool teams, and darts teams. Darren is also hoping to support all aspects of community life by collecting food to donate to the local foodbank. Going forward, he also hopes to support several local causes close to the community’s heart.
Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “The reopening of The Hope & Anchor was a tremendous success, and it was wonderful to see so many locals turn out to celebrate the occasion. The refurbished pub looks fantastic, and I have no doubt it will continue to thrive for many years to come. On behalf of everyone at Proper Pubs, I’d like to congratulate Darren on a brilliant launch and wish him all the best for the future.”
Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. This year over Easter it collected 21,619 easter eggs to donate to local charities and in 2025 operators collected 20,500 selection boxes to donate to local charities and communities in need for Christmas, as well as raising £80,255 for Admiral Taverns’ charity partner, Claire House Hospice.
Furthermore, last year, Proper Pubs also successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised in the UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.
In 2026, Proper Pubs was listed as a finalist in the Best Community Pub category at the Great British Publican Awards and was previously crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards in 2024.
The Hope & Anchor, Victoria Street, Grimsby, UK
Notes to Editors
Admiral Taverns (“Admiral”) is the UK’s number one community pub group. Headquartered in Chester; the Group operates a national estate of c.1,350 predominantly wet-led community pubs. Admiral’s unique operational approach has earnt industry recognition with the Group winning Best Community Pub Operator at the 2024 Publican Awards, whilst also being shortlisted for Best Partnership Pub Company (501+ Sites). In 2019, 2016 and 2013, Admiral Taverns won Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company at the Publican Awards and ranked highly commended as Best Community Pub Operator in 2017. The Group has also been consistently highly rated by licensees in the industry’s independent annual Tenant Track survey, exceeding the scores of all its national peers.
For further information please contact Polly Clarke/Amy Keane via Admiral@brandpotential.com.
Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.
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