Harrison Leisure Ltd., the Bridlington-based hospitality group, has invested £750,000 in the Old Floral Pavilion Leisure Complex on the town’s seafront in a series of planned refurbishments of the Grade-2 listed Edwardian building.
Harrison Leisure already secured the future of the building when it purchased the freehold from East Riding of Yorkshire Council in 2021 as part of a multi-million pound acquisition and refurbishment investment programme.
Michael Harrison, founder and owner, said: “This latest investment was very much needed in a building that is a precious part of the town’s seafront fabric and history. It will not only directly benefit our business but add to and improve the hospitality offering available to the people of Bridlington and East Yorkshire and help create a better tourist experience for visitors to the town.
“I am a firm believer in a positive, successful future for Bridlington and the surrounding area and very optimistic that this investment in the Old Floral Pavilion is also an investment in the future of the town.
“We used all local trades people on the renovations and will continue to invest in the whole of the seafront area, so it is very much a matter of ‘Watch this space!'”
This latest stage of the building’s refurbishment includes £250,000 on a new high-quality kitchen range and restaurant facilities in The Pavilion providing freshly prepared and cooked food including pizzas, burgers, fish and chips and salads. A £150,000 spend on a newly equipped Jerome’s ice cream and donut kiosk can now be seen to the front of the building. Work on a second kiosk to the rear has just started.
There has also been a complete makeover to the front facade with the inside ironwork – for which the 1904 Pavilion is listed – subtly reflected on the front with a modern fitted ironwork colonnade coupling with the restoration of the front wall that has transformed the Pavilion looking out to sea.
Approximately £250,000 has already been spent on the installation of a new imitation Edwardian wire polycarbonate and aluminium roof to replace the aged Edwardian cast iron and wire glass roof. .
Further plans also include a full renovation and refurbishment of the rear, western elevation facing the town with new backlit signs fabricated to match the new ironwork, and glazed canopies with aluminum colonnades. These further works are expected to start at the end of this summer’s tourist season.
The Old Burger King unit at the north end of the Pavilion will also be restored to its original state and become a single restaurant.
The Harrison Leisure group, which is also behind Salt on the Harbour and The Brunswick Hotel, has been born out of the hard work, endeavour and team ethos of the Harrison family.
Starting out with a food kiosk and a couple of holiday rides Michael and his family gradually grew the business, taking on a small seafront amusement park, then leasing The Old Floral Pavilion Leisure Complex as he developed bar, restaurant, ice cream parlour, children’s play area amusement arcade, fish and chip shop, restaurant and takeaway opportunities.
Salt on the Harbour, the high quality seafood restaurant overlooking Bridlington harbour, opened in 2021 after a £250,000 investment that included a full building refurbishment and jobs for 30 full- and part-time staff.