Urmston's Britannia closed on 4th April for tranformation into Punch Taverns' Champs Bar & Grill Format. The US themed sports bar concept began in 2012 when Punch bought the branding of a bar on Sheffield's Eccleshall Road and opened a new bar under the format just down the road. A second Champs opened in Sheffield in 2013 followed by further rebrandings of former traditional pubs in Liverpool, Washington, Southport, Wisbech and Ilford.
The Flixton Road pub which has had many different names in recent years including Mambo's and 'Juicy' is, at time of writing, totally gutted as part of the refit. All but two of the bars in the format sell real ale so hopes are high that Champs Urmston will be a welcome addition to the town's evolving ale scene.