I visited the newly revamped Water’s Edge in St Annes - and was amazed by its jaw-dropping cakes

It’s famed for its jaw-dropping cakes and great value, tasty carvery – so when this St Annes pub reopened following a refurbishment, we couldn’t wait to try it out.
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Fear not – the mouth-watering display of gigantic, homemade cakes still remains pride of place next to the bar at the Water’s Edge on Heyhouses Lane.

Located around a mile from the coastline, the pub actually takes its name from the Site of Special Scientific Interest it sits on which suggests where the previous coastline was around 10,000 years ago.

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The spacious pub has been a firm favourite with families, couples and friends since it opened in 2015 with the aim of offering ‘affordable indulgence’.

Water's Edge pub, St Annes, following its revamp in 2023Water's Edge pub, St Annes, following its revamp in 2023
Water's Edge pub, St Annes, following its revamp in 2023

And the new-look venue certainly reflects that idea with wooden and leather furniture and luxurious decor with blue tones and bold prints.

The cosy bar area is nestled away from the main eating area and for those with younger children, the child-friendly indoor play area has been redeveloped with games and role play activities.

Outside, there’s a fabulous seating area in a large beer garden, trendy beach huts, plenty of green space and even the promise of an outdoor mini bar during the warmer months.

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We booked for a family meal for a Sunday late afternoon sitting, and couldn’t believe how busy it was.

Hanging kebab at the Water's Edge pub in St AnnesHanging kebab at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes
Hanging kebab at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes

Not in an overcrowded way by any means; just a lovely, bustling atmosphere.

The staff – at the bar, serving at the carvery and waiting on – were all friendly, adding to the warmth of the place.

There’s a great selection of food available at the Water’s Edge seven days a week, including a carvery which is served all week too.

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The children both chose from the kids’ ‘build your meal’ menu, which we thought was great value at £6.25 for a main, side and spud – and with the option of adding a drink and/or ice cream for £1.

Carvery at the Water's Edge pub in St AnnesCarvery at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes
Carvery at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes

They went for pizza and fries and a side of beans for one and cucumber for the other. The portions were brilliantly sized and the margherita pizza looked freshly made so was quickly devoured.

The hubby chose the carvery, which comes in three sizes: small, regular and large.

He went for the – you guessed it – large option (£14.20) which, in fact, looked more like enormous.

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His plate was packed with three different meats – ham, beef and turkey – two Yorkshire puddings, vegetables galore and lashings of gravy.

Children's meal at the Water's Edge pub in St AnnesChildren's meal at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes
Children's meal at the Water's Edge pub in St Annes

He also ordered some pigs in blankets (£2.25) on the side… well, it’s nearly Christmas isn’t it?

I decided to choose from the main menu which offers all the pub classics as well as small plates.

The chicken hanging kebab (£15.25) took my fancy. It was nicely presented on a skewer with fresh vegetables and marinated in sweet chilli and ginger. Chips, dressed salad, and flatbread were the perfect accompaniments, but I’d prefer tzatziki to the garlic and herb butter. It was tasty nonetheless.

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For dessert, the children tucked into ice creams and we chose some of the divine cakes (£5.95 a slice) to take home – a ‘cakeaway’ as they say.

With drinks, our bill came to £65.10 which is great value for a family meal – especially when you’ve got a slab of cake to last you all week!

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