NAMED after a piece of Rainhill history in the 'Stephenson's Rocket', which put the village on the map for its steam train trials, staff at one pub feel that support is running out of steam since the pandemic.
With many in the pub industry hit hard during the pandemic, business has been particularly difficult for the Rocket pub along Warrington Road, with far fewer customers compared to life before covid.
And although many feel that Rainhill is becoming a "real destination" on the edge of the borough, with a healthy mix of pubs, cafes, and restaurants, there are concerns that much of this custom is only concentrated around central areas, such as around the train station and Dane Court.
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Inside the traditional Rainhill pub (Image: St Helens Star)
Initially working as a glass collector before the pandemic, Ellie Hunter has worked her way up to assistant manager and has witnessed firsthand the difference in custom for the Rocket.
Ellie, an expecting mum-to-be, said: “We have seen a big difference in people coming into the pub, definitely.
”We don’t get a lot of new faces like we used to, and you can really see the difference at usually busier periods like when football games are on.
”Every pub has its regulars but I think if we didn’t have ours, we would have been in a position where we would have had to think about closing."
The pub has struggled to attract the same level of customers compared with pre-pandemic (Image: St Helens Star)
Born and bred in Rainhill, Ellie said that it is great to see that the village is flourishing with a variety of venues, but shared concerns that this popularity does not flow away from central areas.
The 21-year-old added: "Rainhill is a really lovely village and it's great that more people seem to be staying here now, but we don't really feel the effect of this.
"It is difficult because it feels that everyone stays around the main square and we are just a little too far out of the way."
The pub created a new outdoor bar during the pandemic (Image: St Helens Star)
In an attempt to attract more people to the pub, the Rocket does provide live singers and entertainment at weekends, when business is much busier, while a beer garden and outdoor bar were put in place to expand their offering during the pandemic.
With a new manager recently taking over the Rocket, the boozer also showcases live sport and boasts a darts board and pool table to entice customers inside.
A pool table has been put in place recently (Image: St Helens Star)
However, despite the variety of things that the pub can offer, Ellie admitted that it is a huge struggle to attract the same level of customers as before the pandemic.
She added: "I feel that covid really did affect us in the worst way possible, because people's habits changed and they aren't coming out in the same way that they used to.
"It can feel like a ghost town during the week and I do think that pubs were affected more than other businesses [during the pandemic].
"It can be hard but our regulars are a massive help in keeping us going - we know them so well that they are almost like family!"
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