NOT MANY PUBS CAN SAY THAT THEY’VE WELCOMED STARS INCLUDING FRANK SINATRA, CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND AMY WINEHOUSE. SO TODAY HIS & HERS CELEBRATES ONE UNASSUMING LIVERPOOL VENUE THAT CAN MAKE THAT CLAIM!
New York has bagels, Paris has croissants – and Liverpool has Scouse, which has become a part of the city’s identity and is as popular as ever. And another brilliant Liverpool institution is Ma Egerton’s, one of the city’s best-known pubs, located opposite the stage door of the Empire Theatre.
Opened in 1846, eight years before even St George’s Hall was completed, Ma Egertons is one Liverpool’s most historic watering holes and is named after its longest-serving landlady, Mary Egerton.
Mary was also a registered theatrical agent – so it comes as no surprise that Ma Egerton’s has welcomed dozens of legends from stage and screen, from Frank Sinatra to Charlie Chaplin and more recently pop icon Amy Winehouse.
So with a pub steeped in history, where better than to enjoy a delicious serving of Liverpool’s world-famous dish.
Ma Egertons has launched its signature Sunday dinner with a difference – Scouse Puds. Ma’s famous traditional family recipe Scouse served in a giant Yorkshire pudding.
It’s fitting too that the new offering is launched just after Liverpool Independents Week – a celebration of the city’s best independent businesses.
Ma Egerton’s itself was something of a business pioneer. It was the first place in the UK to use a cash register. A US salesman had docked in Liverpool and made is first sale in the pub with a new machine, then called the Incorruptible Cashier.
Current owner, Susan Ho, says she is keen for Ma Egertons stays true to its roots. She explained: “The history of Ma Egertons is something to be celebrated and upheld. The pub began its journey at a time when Liverpool was recognised as a global city, with world-leading stars of the stage and screen flocking here to perform in renowned venues such as The Royal Court and Liverpool Empire Theatre.”
In September, the musical spectacular Let It Be comes to the Empire, charting the meteoric rise of the Beatles. What better way to experience our fair city than a bowl of Scouse in Ma Egerton’s followed by a theatre experience celebrating a slice of Liverpool’s cultural history.
Susan added: “Today Liverpool is reclaiming its global reputation and we continue to welcome industry-leading performers to Ma Egertons. What we want to do is give them a true taste of Liverpool – it’s character, its heart and its traditions.
“Scouse is our signature dish and an integral part of our heritage. We serve it with immense pride and we hope that people will love it.”
Website: www.maegertons.com
Related feature: The Old Bank opens on the site of the former First National.