Glasgow pub famous for its £4 three-course lunch sold
Occupying the ground floor of a tenement built in 1892, The Star Bar on Eglinton Street has long assumed legendary status as a traditional Glasgow pub.
Best known for serving up the cheapest three-course lunch in the city, the pub's lunch menu offers a hearty meal with options that include soup, followed by fish and chips and creamed rice with fruit to finish.
One of the busiest lunchtime venues in the city, a recent video review of its cheap lunch menu has amassed over 695,000 views on YouTube.
The pub has been purchased by Glasgow businessman David Low, who helped broker the takeover of Celtic FC by Fergus McCann in 1994.
Mr Low's purchase of The Star Bar follows his sale of The Arlington in Glasgow's West End last October.
Speaking about the purchase, Mr Low said: 'I've always had a keen interest in Glasgow's iconic bars, of which The Star Bar is a fine example and there will be more to follow.
"Customers can be rest assured that I have no plans to change its distinctive character – or its famous lunch offer.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Can this landmark pub remain unique in a world of chains?
It's called the Star Bar because its location points to five of Glasgow's most storied southern highways: Cathcart Road, Victoria Road, Eglinton Street, Maxwell Road, and Pollokshaws Road. It's the unofficial gateway to Govanhill, Queen's Park and Shawlands with Maxwell Park and Pollokshields just off to the right as you look south. The distinctive Star Bar building. (Image: Colin Mearns) It rarely changes hands and when it does, each new custodian chooses wisely to remain faithful to its glorious décor, an unrepentant monument to 1960s Formica cheeriness with a black and white tiled floor, red leather upholstered seats and hammered bronzed table tops sitting beneath wood-panelled walls. On crossing its threshold yesterday, you're transported back to the pubs your dad and uncles once frequented and where occasionally you'd be taken as a youth to learn how to conduct yourself in west of Scotland male company: you'll have a coke; you'll say nothing until you're asked and you'll listen and observe closely. The only haute aesthetic are the haute pies; the haute soup and the deftly-imported haute goods of uncertain provenance. It's the home of the legendary '£4 lunch' – now edging towards £5 – consisting of three courses and featuring a robust bill of fayre that includes those pies, macaroni cheese and roast beef. For a modest premium you can have something a little more exotic such as the breaded fish and the Ashet pie. There was always a white notice on the wall outside – in the shape of a jaunty white guitar – telling you that the kenspeckle and lately departed Glasgow musician, Ken Manners, was the house entertainment. Read more Kevin McKenna: Today, I'm with its new owner David Low and his brother Kenny, who'll manage the day-to-day running. They're native south siders and I too once spent several happy years not far from here, up the road in Govanhill. We're mourning the loss of Paddy Neeson's, anther legendary tavern which was reputed to serve the best pint of Guinness in the city, but which has now become an insipid style bar selling artisan tomfoolery. 'I hope you're not thinking about doing anything similar,' I tell them. 'No chance,' says David. Owner David Low. (Image: Colin Mearns) Today, I'm on the mince and tatties with the mint peas and he's with the breaded fish. A bowl of rice pudding with a wee steeple of tinned fruit on the top sashays by. 'Apart from a lick of paint here and there, I'm changing absolutely nothing,' he says. 'Why would you? Money can't replace what's already here. This is already a busy pub, no matter what day of the week. I'd like to build a wee stage area and bring back a house band. I'd like to restore the darts team too. 'I'm very much into community pubs and I'm planning on acquiring several more. I feel as though I'm rendering a service to the community.' Pubs like the Star Bar reside in the folk memory of generations of Glaswegians. Memories of grand social occasions and family events here get handed on. They are in the DNA of their local communities. Older men from working class communities are prone to social isolation and the loneliness that comes from the erosion of masculinity and the sense that their language and their lifestyles – no matter how innately decent they might be – are no longer permitted in polite society. They come in here for the company, the conversation and the comfort that comes from knowing they're not being judged. These places maintain social cohesion by keeping it real, honest and affordable. 'All the customers are on first name terms,' says Kenny Low, 'and that's not a cliché. They've been coming here form many years and they look out for each other.' 'It's a really eclectic mix,' says David, 'rich man, poor, man, old woman; young woman. This area of Glasgow is becoming a destination for the hipster generation, attracted by those big apartments which are more affordable than in the west end and smart cafes selling coffee at prices that won't choke a horse.' Outside, there's also something unique in Glasgow: a busy cycle lane. 'Community pubs is a seam I want to mine,' says David. 'It's those places where people talk to each other and no-one remains a stranger for long. I've always liked this pub and other pubs of its kind.' He speaks with affection about The Tower Bar on the north side of the city which he once owned. Read more: So, what qualifies as a community pub, I ask. 'It's a place where you can spend some time and have a drink and food at a reasonable price,' says Kenny. 'It's a place that really belongs to the customers and their families, often stretching back generations.' Neither of them want to appear patronising when discussing this. So, I'll say what they won't: by keeping the food at such low prices, this place can be a lifeline for some people facing profound social challenges. And by serving it in an attractive lounge area with knowledgeable staff, there's a patina of dignity and decorum and respect. Could more pubs offer affordable lunches to help address food poverty? Could it be something that the government might encourage and support as a sustainable business model: achieving a balance between proportionate profits and assisting the community? David Low is cautious: 'It's a difficult challenge to satisfy the interests of the council with those of the business owner and the customer as they're all trying to get as big a slice of the money pie as possible. I don't think it works in the city centre as too much goes on rent and rates. We're proving though, that it can work in outlying communities where costs are lower.' Behind the bar, May Di Mascio is telling me that the camera makes her nervous. If so, the she's hiding it well. She's been working at the Star Bar for 14 years, while her colleague, Andrea Purdie, has devoted most of her working to this pub. If they didn't exist then you'd have to invent them. They both set the tone of this establishment: warm, welcoming but taking no nonsense. May tells me about the older couple who come here in full cowboy gear prior to a show at Govan's Grand Ole Opry. 'Sometimes, when it's going like a fayre in here, they don't make it to the Opry and can be found swinging their lassos in here instead. This isn't unusual. People come in here en-route to concerts and events but get caught up in the atmosphere in here and don't actually make it to the gig. She tells me that it took a few weeks to get acclimatised to the robust language and boisterous interactions of the customers. This is a city, after all, where the citizenry have taken the darkest profanities and re-imagined them with a measure of virtue and purity. Thus you can be a good c**t or a decent c**t or a clever c**t. 'Now when I suggest that they might have had enough and to get up the road, they don't need to be asked twice,' she says. When a customer dies, the hearse will pass here and the bar will empty on to the street with their drinks and wave them on their way, as they did with her beloved sister-in-law, Giovanna, a few weeks ago. Friends Andy O'Donnell, 73, and George Robertson, 56, in the lounge bar. (Image: Colin Mearns) Andy and George are at the Star Bar most days. 'Once you've had a meal in here,' says Andy, 'you're set up for the day.' They've seen all the other pubs disappear that once thronged this neighbourhood disappear one by one. 'The Star Bar is still here because it has always kept that community spirit and never altered its character,' says George. They both exhort me to 'take it easy', which you can't really fail to do when you've spent some time here with May and Kenny and Andrea, fortified by a £5 lunch and the Glasgow cowboys and a line of chat that takes no prisoners but leaves the heart and soul intact.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ex-Rangers chief Craig Whyte's floundering YouTube channel
Mr Whyte borrowed £26.7m against future season ticket sales in order to acquire the club. Read More: Soon after the takeover Rangers stopped paying PAYE and VAT, leading to a £9m tax bill from HMRC which put the company into administration. Liquidators were appointed after the revenue rejected a proposed Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) and Rangers were admitted to the fourth division of Scottish football. Whyte was declared bankrupt in 2015. Mr Whyte has since released a book, Into the Bear Pit, about his ownership and begun hosting an investment channel on YouTube. However, all may not be what it seems. On social media the former Rangers owner boasts of having "50k+ subs YouTube". Acequisition, the channel in question, does indeed have 51.4k subscribers. However, Mr Whyte's channel isn't doing too well in the viewership stakes. The most recent video, posted 11 days ago, has just 41 views, while one posted two months entitled 'how to legally pay zero tax' has amassed just 193 in that time. Craig Whyte's YouTube channel (Image: YouTube) The channel was not founded by Mr Whyte and Hector Earley, the other 'creator' listed on the channel but by James Domenic Floreani AKA Jayconomics. In July last year Jay announced that he was leaving YouTube, with 'new creators' taking over the channel. He said: "I will be handing over the channel to people who I think will bring you interesting finance and business content - you'll get to meet them in just a second. For anyone who is wondering, one thing no one can say is that I didn't put my money where my mouth was. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars investing in companies and the people running them. It has also taught me just how brutal and humbling the small cap market can be - one minute you are on top of the world, the next you've lost it all. "These expensive lessons I've learned throughout these last four years have made me stronger, more focused, a heck of a lot smarter, and given me a much better perspective on how things work. It's been a time of healing, personal growth, tough questions, and rough lessons learned. "Over the past year I've been focused on God, family, healing from within using circadian biology principles, and living in alignment with my purpose. Though I will have to rebuild financially, I am in a much better place mentally, spiritually and physically than I was during my time on YouTube. "All that said, I'd like to thank each and every viewer, supporter and critic of Jayconomics throughout the last four years. I truly wish each and every one of you the best." In April of this year Mr Floreani was found to have breached securities laws in Alberta, Canada between November 2020 and March 2022 by posting recommendations for stocks on social media including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Patreon, Instagram, Discord, and Facebook without disclosing he and his company Jayconomics Inc had been paid to do so. The court found he was paid $787.50 for a video about a tech firm called Tenet, as well as 20,000 restricted shares in the company Gold Mountain, $84,000 from Levitee Labs, and $6,300 from Sekur. Penalties are yet to be handed down. Mr Whyte was banned from being a company director for 15 years for his part in the collapse of Rangers. In 2017 the former owner was cleared of fraudulently taking over the club. He dropped a case of malicious prosecution against the Lord Advocate in 2023.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Legendary car brand is axing 'beast' 4x4 in Europe despite increasing popularity
It should help the manufacturer towards meeting its fleet average targets DEAD END Legendary car brand is axing 'beast' 4×4 in Europe despite increasing popularity Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LEGENDARY car brand has axed its "beast" 4x4 in Europe despite its increasing popularity. This move represents a significant transition for the company. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Legendary car brand is axing 'beast' 4×4 in Europe next year despite its increasing popularity Credit: YouTube Ford's Ranger pickup, with the popular 2.0-litre diesel engine is set to be axed as the brand shifts focus to its new plug-in hybrid model. The 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine, often described as a beast of machine, will be removed from the Ranger in early 2026. What does this mean? A Ford spokesperson confirmed the decision to Professional Pickup, leaving the pickup relying on the 3.0-litre V6 EcoBlue engine and the new 2.3-litre EcoBoost plug-in hybrid. Ford of Europe will continue offering the Ranger with the 3.0-liter EcoBlue V6 turbo diesel. The Ranger Raptor is presently available with either 2.0-liter EcoBlue or 3.0-liter EcoBoost muscle in this part of the world. This move represents a significant transition for Ford's best-selling pickup, and shows the brand's confidence in the PHEV as a viable mainstream option for both work and leisure buyers. The shift to a PHEV powerplant will raise entry costs, with the plug-in model commanding a premium of around £2,500 over the existing 2.0-litre diesel models. However, Ford is positioning the Ranger PHEV as a highly capable alternative, with up to 27 miles of electric-only driving and a total power output that exceeds the current four-cylinder and even V6 diesel models. Crucially, the PHEV will retain the Ranger's full one-tonne payload limit and 3,500kg towing capacity — a key requirement for many business users. Why did they make the decision? New tax changes have created headaches for company pickup drivers, but Ford's decision to drop the EcoBlue engine is unrelated. Ford is forced to immediately shut down factories and halt car production as CEO admits 'day to day' struggle for brand Instead, EU emissions regulations require manufacturers to meet stringent fleet CO₂ averages or face substantial fines. With diesel variants like the Wildtrak emitting 230g/km, switching to a low-emission PHEV cuts pickup emissions by more than half, to 72g/km, helping the manufacturer towards its fleet average targets. The Ranger PHEV nets 68 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometer in WLTP testing, whereas the high-output version of the 2.0-liter EcoBlue is listed with 230 grams. By comparison, the 3.0-liter EcoBlue and EcoBoost emit 264 and 315 grams, respectively. Available in single- and bi-turbo flavors, the 2.0-liter EcoBlue made its debut in February 2018 with the unveiling of the original Ranger Raptor. When is this going to happen? The 3.0-litre V6 diesel, currently used in high-spec models such as the Wildtrak and Platinum, will continue for the foreseeable future. With 240hp and 600Nm of torque, it offers strong performance for operators needing extra muscle, and is likely to remain a core part of the range until at least the end of the decade. The Ranger Plug-in Hybrid arriving with dealers now, with customer deliveries expected to begin shortly. Production of the 2.0-litre models will cease in early 2026. The Sun has approached Ford for comment. Meanwhile, a major recall issued by Ford over concerns for passenger safety will also affect its UK models. The recall was issued earlier this week in the US over a major safety defect that could leave passengers trapped in their cars. And Britain's best-selling car brands have been revealed with the 'devastatingly handsome' Ford STILL topping the charts – see full list. Plus, Ford is forced to immediately shut down factories and halt car production as CEO admits 'day to day' struggle for brand.
