Bootle Brewery Colbier Plans Childwall Micropub 2026

Key Points

• Bootle Brewery Colbier is planning to open their first pub named Common Time near Childwall Fiveways.
• Colbier is owned by Mike Corbett and Vik Williams and was established in 2024.
• The company was awarded the title of “Best new independent brewery” in the UK at SIBA Business Awards in 2025.
• The proposed micropub will be situated on Queens Drive, near Childwall Fiveways.
• According to the founders, the pub will serve as a venue where the community members can gather.
• Crowdfunder has been set up to collect additional funds for this venture.
• Contributors can get various rewards such as £60 credit at the bar for £50 and an opportunity to collaborate with Colbier and brew a beer in Bootle.
• The founders claim that there have been some problems while doing the refurbishment work including rewiring the entire building.
• According to the Liverpool ECHO, the pub is due to open next month.

Bootle (Liverpool standard) October 27, 2026 – An award-winning Bootle brewery is preparing to open its first bricks-and-mortar pub near Childwall Fiveways, in a move its co-founders say is designed to create a welcoming neighbourhood venue for local residents.

Colbier, founded by Mike Corbett and Vik Williams in 2024, is set to launch a micropub called Common Time on Queens Drive, close to Childwall Fiveways. As reported by the Liverpool ECHO, the venue would be the brewery’s first permanent pub, following a rapid rise in popularity among Merseyside craft beer drinkers.

The brewery operates from Canal Street in Bootle and has already built a presence across Liverpool through stockists including Black Cat on Parr Street, The Head of Steam on Hanover Street and The Grapes on Roscoe Street. Its growing reputation was recognised in 2025, when Colbier was named the UK’s “Best new independent brewery” at the SIBA Business Awards.

Why are Mike Corbett and Vik Williams opening a pub?

Mike Corbett told the Liverpool ECHO that he and Vik Williams wanted to create somewhere people could meet others and feel less isolated. He said:

“There’s a bit of a loneliness [issue] at the moment, and with the world going the way it is and people getting more isolated, you want to move away from that.”

He added:

“We just want to make a place that people know they can go to, and if they don’t have anybody to hang out with that day or week, they can find somebody in our pub.”

According to the Liverpool ECHO, Mr Corbett said the pair wanted Common Time to reflect the kind of pub where customers can speak with staff and other people at the bar, rather than a venue where visitors mainly speak only to those they arrived with.

He said:

“We like the pubs that you can go to and you can stand at the bar, and get to know other people in there or get to know the staff. We’re not as big of a fan of the places where you go in, and you only really can speak to the person you’ve arrived with. We just want to make a place like that, that’s again kind of reflective of ourselves.”

Why has Childwall been chosen for Common Time?

The location near Childwall Fiveways was chosen because the founders wanted the pub to sit within a residential community rather than in Liverpool city centre. Mr Corbett told the Liverpool ECHO that the aim was to give people somewhere local they could visit without needing to travel into town.

He said: “It’s really just about the community around our area as well. People can come here from wherever, but if we created a place in town, you’d have to commute most of the time. People obviously do live in town, but we want to make a place that is up the road from your house. You can just wander down, have a few pints, and walk home again.”

Mr Corbett also said the decision to open at Childwall Fiveways was deliberate because the area did not appear to have a venue of this kind before. He said:

“Obviously, it’s a pub, so you don’t want people driving afterwards. And that is very deliberate, we wanted to do something on Childwall Fiveways, because I don’t think anything like that’s been done here before.”

How is the Common Time Crowdfunder supporting the pub?

To help fund the development and encourage local involvement before opening, Colbier has launched a Crowdfunder. Mr Corbett told the Liverpool ECHO that additional funding would allow the team to do more with the pub.

He said:

“We can do a bit more with the pub if we get the funding.”

The campaign offers supporters a range of rewards. According to the Liverpool ECHO, people who contribute can receive a £60 bar tab for £50, while there is also an opportunity to brew a beer with the Colbier team at its Bootle brewery.

Mr Corbett said the Crowdfunder was also intended to build a sense of ownership among future customers. He said: “It’s a good opportunity for people to get a bit more for their money. They can get a £60 bar tab for £50 and, there’s an opportunity to come and brew a beer with us at the brewery in Bootle.”

He added: “It is to get people involved with the pub before we actually open, because if you contribute towards the Crowdfunder, you’re already a part of the Common Ground community.”

What challenges has the Childwall pub project faced?

The development has not been straightforward. Mr Corbett told the Liverpool ECHO that the team had encountered several unexpected issues while preparing the premises.

He said: “There have been a lot of obstacles. There’s a few surprise things in the new pub. The electrics had to be completely redone, which we didn’t think would be an issue before we moved in.”

He added that such problems had created additional costs and delays beyond the original plans. “There’s just been a few little surprises like that, which apart from the cost of doing the pub, is also extra time as well that you don’t really budget for,” he said.

Despite those difficulties, the Liverpool ECHO reports that the pub is expected to come to fruition next month. The outlet has also shared a link for readers who wish to donate to the Crowdfunder.

Background of the development

Colbier was launched in 2024 by Mike Corbett and Vik Williams. The brewery operates from Canal Street in Bootle and has become known among Liverpool craft beer drinkers in a relatively short period.

Its beers are already available in several Liverpool venues, including Black Cat on Parr Street, The Head of Steam on Hanover Street and The Grapes on Roscoe Street. In 2025, the brewery received national recognition at the SIBA Business Awards, where it was named the UK’s “Best new independent brewery”.

Common Time would represent Colbier’s first permanent pub. The planned venue on Queens Drive near Childwall Fiveways is intended to serve the surrounding residential community and provide a local alternative to city-centre drinking venues.

Prediction: What could this mean for Childwall residents?

If Common Time opens as planned, Childwall residents could gain a new neighbourhood pub within walking distance of homes around Childwall Fiveways. The founders’ stated focus on community, conversation and a walkable local venue suggests the pub may appeal particularly to people living nearby who want a social space without travelling into Liverpool city centre.

The Crowdfunder could also shape early local engagement. Residents who support the project before opening may feel a stronger connection to the venue, while rewards such as discounted bar tabs and brewery experiences could encourage repeat visits once Common Time opens.

For local pubs and hospitality businesses, the arrival of an award-winning independent brewery could increase competition in the area. However, the founders have positioned Common Time as a community-focused micropub rather than a large-scale venue, which may mean its impact depends on how well it becomes established among Childwall residents.

For Colbier, the development marks a significant step from supplying beer to other venues towards operating its own permanent public-facing space. If the pub opens successfully, it could strengthen the brewery’s brand presence in Liverpool while giving the business a direct relationship with customers in Childwall.