IMD's growing influence on the village of Whalley

The much-anticipated refurbishment of The Dog Inn, Whalley, was officially unveiled on Friday, July 17th, with the transformation receiving a warm welcome from customers and the local community.

The extensive interior and exterior refurbishment was designed and project managed by award-winning local interior design practice IMD, who were also the same team behind the acclaimed Whalley Wine Bar.

The plan was created with the intention of preserving the things that people loved about the much-loved Whalley pub, while creating a fresh, contemporary environment that would serve both today's customers and the business for years to come.

IMD worked closely with the owners - Lee and Jo McLoughlin - to carefully retain the character and heritage of the building whilst completely reimagining its facilities. Improvements include a new kitchen, upgraded audio-visual system, redesigned and enlarged beer garden, refurbished toilets, enhanced seating layouts, a more intimate dining area and increased capacity, alongside the return of much-loved features including the jukebox and pool table. However, the pub’s popular homemade menu remains unchanged, much to the delight of regulars.

Stephen Yardley, Managing Director of IMD, said: "It's not often you get the opportunity to redesign your own local pub. There was a real responsibility to respect what The Dog Inn means to the village while ensuring it continues to thrive for many years to come. The feedback since opening has been incredibly positive, which is hugely rewarding for everyone involved."

Owners Lee and Jo McLoughlin added: "The design and support we received from Stephen and the IMD team has been exceptional. They listened to what we wanted, respected our vision for The Dog Inn and helped us bring it to life. We're absolutely delighted with the result."

Following the official reopening, hundreds of customers visited over the first weekend to experience the transformation, creating a busy and successful first few days for the newly refurbished venue.

The Dog Inn is the second high-profile Whalley hospitality project completed by IMD in recent years. In 2021, the practice helped design the award-winning Whalley Wine Bar on behalf of independent wine merchants Tom and Jen Jones, creating a venue dedicated to authentic wine experiences.

“We started the design ourselves but when we hit a creative block, the IMD team were on hand and instantly understood what we wanted to create, “ Tom Jones stated when reflecting on the past five years. “They didn't simply help design a beautiful space, they helped create an environment where people genuinely want to spend time. Five years on the quality and timelessness of the design still shows and that's testament to their creativity, attention to detail and understanding of the hospitality sector,” Jones finished.

Although both projects are visually distinctive, they share the same philosophy. IMD has stressed that they believe great hospitality design should improve business performance as well as appearance. Every project is designed to enhance the customer experience, improve operational efficiency, maximise the use of available space and support long-term commercial success.