Woman 'so grateful' after taking over York Hotel pub from late dad

With a former landlord of the York Hotel looking to sell the pub back in 2008, wagon driver Kevin Gallagher decided to follow up on a long-held dream and take over the reins of his regular boozer.

Under Kevin's stewardship, the Nutgrove Road pub developed into a popular meeting hub for friends, family, and regulars, and was registered as an Asset of Community Value with St Helens Council in 2014.

This recognition is given to sites that further the social well-being of the local community and gives them more protection if a landowner was to ever sell or dispose of the building, allowing community groups or pub regulars the opportunity to bid and save the premises.

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An old picture inside the York (Image: York Hotel)
Running the pub for 14 years, and guiding it through various difficulties experienced in the hospitality, Kevin was much-loved character and extremely respected by regulars at the Thatto Heath haunt.

After he sadly passed away in late 2022, his wife Norma took on the responsibility of the pub until their daughter Natalie took over the reins in early 2023.

Kevin and Norma Gallagher (Image: Natalie Gallagher)

Although taking over a pub was a tough ask for Natalie as she had no previous experience in hospitality, she wanted to keep the pub in the family and continue her dad's legacy.

In the 14 months that have followed, Natalie said she has the support of her regulars to thank as she has got the grips with the pub and allowed it to thrive.

Natalie has taken over the reins of the York from her dad Kevin (Image: Natalie Gallagher)
Natalie, a 34-year-old nursing assistant, said: "My dad was a regular at the York and it was a bit of a dream of his to run it. After the opportunity came to take it over, he loved it and it became his life.

"I've been really lucky [taking over the pub] as everyone loved him and we have really good regulars, with some who have been coming in for over 40 years.

"There have been challenges like the electricity and gas prices, but our customers and regulars have been so supportive and I'm so grateful for that, especially as I've come from an NHS background and not hospitality."

One of the York's barmaids Trish (Image: Natalie Gallagher)
As well as creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere at the York, Natalie is particularly proud of the charitable side of the business, such as the fundraising for an in-house defibrillator after a customer collapsed in 2022.

While keeping the pub's live sports and live music offering, Natalie said she hopes to organise similar fundraising events in the future.

She also plans to revamp the pub while retaining the traditional character that regulars know and love.

The York Hotel, on Nutgrove Road in Thatto Heath (Image: Natalie Gallagher)