A small, traditional village pub coming to Port William

12/06/2026

Update on The Maxwell Tavern!

The building warrant has officially been submitted to Dumfries & Galloway Council!

Our brilliant architect Mark has worked closely with the structural engineer to get everything ready, and it's now in the hands of the council.

Next up, we wait for the council's queries, and we'll be answering them as quickly as we can to keep things moving. We'll keep you posted every step of the way.

Thank you for all your support so far.
Dean & Annabelle Webster

04/06/2026

Maxwell Tavern Update, June 2026

It's been a busy few weeks behind the scenes, so here's a proper catch-up for you all!

We've had two solar companies in to look at the building, so we're doing our homework on energy. We also sat down with Stephen, the Tennents area manager, and the team from Innserve to talk through the cellar installation.

Lots to consider, decisions to be made, but it's all moving forward.

We met with the team at Five Kingdoms and had a really good conversation about what they can offer. We're also looking at Diageo installing a Guinness pump, which feels right for a proper community pub!

Lee Concannon came in to discuss the commercial kitchen, but here's where I need to be honest with you. We've had to lose about half the kitchen space to make room for the cellar. So the food options are more limited than we originally planned. We've made the decision that when we open, it will be drinks only to start. Get the pub up and running properly first, get everything working well, and then we'll introduce food once we're settled. It's the right call even if it wasn't the original plan.

We also had a lovely catch-up with Fiona from the community association, fitted in a bit of painting and gardening at Westview Cottage, Port William to get it ready for upcoming guests, and we've met our new neighbours next to the pub who have very kindly donated an iron fireplace we're hoping to use in the pub. How lovely is that?

I spoke to our amazing architect today and am hoping that the Building warrant will be finished and ready to submit next week – fingers crossed.

Thank you for sticking with us on this journey. We'll keep you posted.

26/05/2026

26/05/2026

🍺 PLANNING APPROVED! A huge thank you from The Maxwell Tavern 🍺

We are absolutely over the moon to share that our planning application has been approved, and we truly believe that would not have happened so quickly without the incredible support of this community.

To every single one of you who have reached out by email and Messenger throughout this journey, your kind words, encouragement and belief in what we're trying to create here have meant the world to us.

Every message has been read, every one of you is genuinely appreciated.

And a very special thank you to the 42 amazing people who took the time to submit letters of support directly to the council planning application.

That is not a small thing, that is 42 people going out of their way to back us, and we will never forget it.

The next chapter begins now. We have building warrant plans to submit, a front lintel to tackle, a new staircase going in at the rear, and a whole lot of hard work ahead, but we cannot wait to throw open the doors and welcome every one of you in for that first pint.
Watch this space. It's happening. 🙌

❤️ The Maxwell Tavern Team

25/05/2026

Im in the Port – having meetings this week.

The first is this morning with Innserve to discuss the pump and line installation.

This is a tricky one as we have no space! no cellar and no close external storage area.

Some creative thinking is going to be needed to allow us to work out where and how to store the barrels needed and the lines and pumps we want to allow us to serve you a selection of draught beers.

If the doors are open ! Pop in for a visit. All welcome, Annabelle

20/05/2026

I am looking for a solar installer for the pub – I found one; however, he is now ghosting me!! Not answered any calls/messages/emails.

So, Im on the lookout for a local company to install panels to the west side of the building roof.

Any suggestions?

19/05/2026

Yippppeeeeeeee…..

Amazing support from Ed Robinson in turning this around so quickly. What a relief !

The report has been uploaded to the councils planning portal. We now await a decision.

……..

16/05/2026

What a great opportunity to work with a fabulous organisation.

16/05/2026

🍺 You spoke — we listened! A huge thank you to everyone who commented on our drinks post 🙏

Wow. We genuinely didn't expect the response we got, over 100 comments, so many brilliant suggestions and so much warmth and encouragement from this amazing community. We have read every single one and we want to share where our thinking is heading.

Beer, ale & draught
You were very clear, Five Kingdoms Brewery is the overwhelming community favourite, and we are absolutely on it. We are meeting them during our visit in May. We are also looking at rotating guest ales so there is always something new to try, because variety is the spice of life and we simply can't have everything on at once! Lager wise we will have Tennents on draft hoping also Guinness plus one other lager to be decided.

Whisky & spirits
Local provenance matters to you, and it matters to us too. I have booked a tour at Galloway Distillery in May and will be discussing their products afterwards. We have also contacted Bladnoch to arrange a meeting, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries right on our doorstep, it would be rude not to!

Cocktails & low/no drinks
This is an area we are really passionate about. Quality cocktails, think proper espresso martinis and seasonal specials, alongside a genuinely great low and no-alcohol range. We know many of you drive to the port, and we want everyone to have something brilliant in their glass, whatever their choice. This isn't an afterthought, it's a priority.

Wine & gin
You told us loud and clear, don't just stock what every other pub stocks! We hear you. We'll be looking at interesting wines beyond the usual suspects and Scottish gins front and centre Hills & Harbour got a big shout out from the community, and rightly so!

🚌 One idea we'd love your help with…

We know Port William is a beautiful but rural spot, and we want EVERYONE to be able to enjoy the pub, not just those who can walk. Is there a minibus or community vehicle in the area? Would anyone be willing to volunteer to do collection and drop-off runs for an evening? We'd love to explore whether this could raise money for the Port William Community Association or other local groups. If you have any ideas or would be willing to help, please drop us a message or comment below!

A small but important note…

We are a pub, not a supermarket! 😄 We have limited space and cellar capacity, so we genuinely cannot stock everything, but we will do our very best to reflect what this community loves. Our plan is to rotate draught lines regularly so there is always something different to discover. We will always be guided by you.

Keep the ideas coming