May 28, 2019 11.20 am This story is over 58 months old

Lincoln cocktail barge sets sail next month

This is what to expect aboard the new barge
Work is underway at the barge.

Ahoy! Lincoln’s first ever on-the-water cocktail bar will set sail next month.

The Lincolnite can reveal that The Barge will welcome customers back after two years on June 13.

It will offer fine and speciality cocktails, a range of drinks and tapas-style sharing plates for everyone to enjoy.

As previously reported, the SU bought the Barge on the Brayford restaurant at auction for £192,000.

A spokesperson for Lincoln Students’ Union (SU) said: “We won the barge at auction and we have worked on restoring it ready for a summer opening.

“The barge used to be a waterfront restaurant, but we have now breathed life back into this Lincoln landmark. We want to bring the community together on an unprecedented voyage of discovery.”

The SU has launched a new Facebook page for the cocktail barge, which welcomes the “adventurous, the curious and the lost to explore the wonders of the world aboard this Lincoln legacy.”

The Lincoln Students’ Union already owns The Engine Shed, Tower Bar and The Swan.

The Barge on the Brayford had a challenging recent history. In 2014, the floating seafood restaurant was severely damaged by a fire in the kitchen. 

A new captain was sought for the unusual business in January 2017, when owner Catherine Kirk-Keverne announced her retirement due to ill health.

Initial offers were sought in the region of £300,000 and eventually went to auction with a starting bid of £130,000.

Captain Kirk-Keverne, The Barge on the Brayford’s previous owner, added previously: “I’m delighted to see The Barge handed over to the Students’ Union.

“It’s exciting to see the legacy continue, with young people and locals able to enjoy it once again in the future. I can’t wait to see The Barge taken forward into its next chapter.”