Earl’s Deli in Heaton is this week’s Pub of the Week

Earl’s Night and Day Café was launched by Jonny Eckersley and Andy Partington who took inspiration from food hotspots like Lisbon, Sydney and Antwerp.

They brought their flavours and laid-back vibes to Chorley Old Road in Heaton and have made waves since.

With the pair now planning to expand to a new location in Farnworth, we spoke with Jonny to find out why Earl’s has been such a hit.

Can you introduce yourself and Earl’s?

“I wouldn’t call us a pub – we’re a day and night café at the top of Bolton, we specialise in really, really big sandwiches, great coffee and beer.”

Earls is on the site of what was barber shop Common Barber and coffee shop Common & Coffee (Image: Newsquest)

How long have you been in hospitality?

“Earl’s is my first foray into hospitality as a business owner – I worked in hospitality a lot when I was younger and really enjoyed it.

“I have a close personal connection to the building Earl’s is in, my grandparents and my mum grew up around the corner on Moorside Avenue.

“When it was Coleman’s Bakery I used to go in with my grandad – that’s where the Earl’s orange came from.”

How long have you been running Earl’s?

“We opened on December 20, 2024 – about 18 months now, so we’re doing pretty well.

“There’s been lots of ups and downs – really good days, and really bad days as well, which I think any hospitality owner can attest to, but ultimately I love it and I love what I do.

“We love the community we’ve been building and the customers and the regulars who come into the business and keep it running really.”

Seating (Image: Newsquest)

Why did you decide to open it?

“Andy’s lived in Bolton his whole life – I’m from Bolton but I’ve lived in London and then Manchester city centre for about 15 years.

“We’ve seen lots of places come and go and we thought there needed to be somewhere a bit more neighbourhood focused.

“We wanted somewhere small and more intimate that first into the fabric of the community.

“It should be somewhere where you could come in on a Saturday dressed up with your friends or family, or come in with a colleague or just have a drink by yourself.”

Current draft selection:

• Earl’s Day and Night Lager
• Earl’s Nitro Stout
• Rivington Brewery Never Known Fog Like It
• Rivington Brewery Another Night in a Row
• Rivington Brewery Fall Out of the Sky

(Image: Supplied)

Do you serve food?

“We specialise in sandwiches and they come in two sizes, whole and half – whole is 12 inches or like a footlong you would get somewhere like Subway for £12.

“Then half is six inches – that’s £6 – and you can add chips for a meal deal for £2.

“We also have Philly Fridays where we make 20 Philly Cheesesteaks and pack those out with as much Philly cheese as we can.

“You can pre-order online, come in for takeaway or sit down and we’ll serve you.”

Do you host any regular events or clubs?

“We’re looking at doing that in the future, definitely – we’re open to people in the community reaching out to us and making suggestions.

“We’re really community driven and if anyone who’s reading this wants to make some suggestions, I’m all ears – you can send me a dm directly or message us on Instagram.

“We have a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays – we have a group of four or five, but we’re always looking for DJs so anyone who wants to DJ can message me.

“We’re always looking for local talent and would be regular, and paid, for someone who is interested in it.”

What’s the best part about running a bar?

“I would say the customers – there’s so many different people who I’ve met owning and operating Earl’s.

“They’ve maybe fallen pregnant and then the baby has been born, we’ve seen whole lives – there’s so many amazing things about it.

“Everybody who walks through has a smile on their face and that’s definitely the thing that keeps me going.”

What’s the worst part?

“Probably equipment or things breaking – there’s always a problem that needs your attention.

“But I’m a problem solver, so I like to fix things.”