Waterloo welcomes new multi-million pound leisure development, The Lakehouse

A new multi-million-pound leisure development in the heart of Crosby Coastal Park in Waterloo will officially open its doors to the public later this month.

The Lake House, which will sit alongside the leisure facilities at Sefton Council’s Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, will play home to new café and restaurant The Lake Kitchen led by head chef Matt Cox, four impressive conference and events spaces and 14 refurbished rooms as part of its accommodation offering, when it launches on August 22.

Led by Sefton Hospitality Operations Ltd (SHOL) and its team of expert hospitality specialists, the new venue hopes to become a destination in the borough and further afield, creating more than 70 jobs within the local community.

A recruitment drive is already under way with the help of Sefton at Work with positions already filled including front of house, night managers and a new General Manager.

The mission of SHOL, which was created 12 months ago, is to provide exceptional customer experiences and great facilities, while meeting the needs of the area’s residents, visitors and businesses. It will also create quality employment and career opportunities for local people in an exciting sector of the market, whilst also handling all of The Lake House’s ongoing day-to-day operations moving forward.

SHOL’s Chair Kellie Rixon MBE FIH, who is also the Chair of The Institute of Hospitality, said:

“The Lake House has been created with the local community at its core and throughout this whole process, regeneration has been a key objective. Not only are we going to appeal to several different demographics in what we are about to deliver, but we believe that the venue will help to further propel Waterloo and this area of Sefton’s fantastic coastline into the national arena.

“Sitting alongside the internationally renowned Antony Gormley’s Another Place Iron Men statues, our coastline development aims to have a considerable impact on the borough and ultimately, it’s about time that we showed everyone what we have been up to. People have been waiting for this, and we want to provide a space that you can enjoy with your family and friends, which is right on your doorstep.”

The Lake House is one of a collective of properties that are being considered for redevelopment as part of a long-term strategy for reinvestment throughout Sefton.

Kellie, who has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, said:

“There is a real emotional connection to this site and it’s easy to see why. What we have tried to do is amplify that and to build on the memories that already exist here and to take it forward into the next part of its history.

“The team that are leading this are experts within our field and that is why we are here; to make this a success. It’s brilliant to see everything coming together, from the number of people we’ve welcomed on our recruitment open days, to the newly formed relationships with local community producers that we will use as our suppliers. We’re really looking forward to unveiling our offering and showing people exactly what we are all about as we get closer to the 22nd.

“The Lake House is nearly ready, and we hope the public is ready too.”