James Bretnall Bennett appointed Cluster Manager in exciting year for Southport

THE Grand in Southport has just enjoyed its busiest ever Christmas and new year season as it looks to build on its growing success during Southport's most exciting year.

The stylish art deco venue on Lord Street opened in July 2022, offering historic elegance blended with modern luxury for people enjoying delicious meals, fun nights out and unmissable events.

As Southport's premier Hospitality venue it will be the place to be in a year when the:- 'Southport 2026' programme of events includes The Open golf tournament at Royal Birkdale, plus 4 major new events, all situated on Lord Street; Lightport, runs from:- 14 February to 16 February 2026; Cristal Palace:- 3 April to 4 April 2026; Big Top Festival:- 2 May to 3 May 2026; and Books Alive! 24 October to 31 October 2026.

In the centre of it all will be James Bretnall Bennett, who was appointed General Manager at:- The Grand, in August.

His impact has been so impressive that he has started the new year with promotion, taking the role of Cluster Manager at Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group venues including: The Grand; the Lord Street Hotel; Lord Street Hotel sports bar; Punch Tarmey's Irish bar; and Mavericks bar.

All are based within close proximity to each other on Lord Street in the Town's flourishing:- 'Northern Quarter.'

James, 38, has 22 years' experience in the Hospitality industry, which included running his own Hotel, restaurant and events venue in Devon.

James Bretnall Bennett said:- "When I 1st walked into The Grand, I didn't realise just how spectacular and how special this place really is. It's a beautiful venue; the potential here is huge. The Christmas and new year period was incredibly busy. It was brilliant to see so many families, so many works nights out. We hosted several festive party nights packed with entertainment from around the world, which were a huge hit. New Year's Eve was extremely busy, with 3 floors packed with entertainment. In Southport, The Grand is definitely the place to be at Christmas and new year. We have already begun planning for Christmas 2026. Life never pauses here; there is plenty to look forward to in the year ahead. Events we have coming up include the Southport Jazz Festival (30 January; 1st February), where we'll have 10% off for everyone with festival tickets; Andrew Mikhail's Casino Charity Night Party headlined by X Factor star Ray Quinn raising money for ICU Steps on:- Saturday:- 21 February; and the Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards on:- 24 April which will honour local community heroes. The Grand is the perfect place for couples to celebrate Valentine's Day. We are creating a special menu for that weekend, which will coincide with the new Lightport event on Lord Street. It's a great time to be in town. Mother's Day is always very popular here. This year you can bring your Mum and the whole family along to enjoy a fun and interactive Mamma Mia!"

James has been progressively making changes, with more to come this year. He said:- "The focus at The Grand and our sister venues is always about the quality of the experience and the quality of service. It's definitely not style over substance. We want to ensure that whenever people come here, they can't wait to come back. We have changed the restaurant in The Grand Brasserie to offer excellent quality bistro-style food, made using quality local ingredients. This place is warm, friendly and welcoming. We want people to feel comfortable walking in and knowing they'll have an enjoyable time. It's somewhere everyone can come. The Grand is always great for events and big occasions, and we're keen to build up our regular lunchtime trade. This is 1 of the best places to sit back and enjoy a coffee, with our fabulous Julius Meinl coffee. You can come in and relax at any time of the day. It's going to get even better as we head towards warmer weather. It will be a completely different dynamic, with people dining and having drinks outside. Harry's Bar is reopening this Spring, with its superb roof terrace. Look out for lots of quality  events, lots of live music. We are working closely with Alistair:- 'Sunset Ali' Cunningham on some:- 70s, 80s and 90s events, some Balearic chill out sessions and more. We'll do vinyl nights, where guests can come and select a vinyl record and pass it to the DJ. We're exploring more quirky, interactive and entertaining events, such as sip and paint and more. We want to offer things that are fun and a little out of the box. There is lots to look forward to this year."

For more details about what's on at The Grand Southport please visit:- TheGrand.Co.UK.