Saturday 16th November 2019

The Fitzherbert Arms, Stone, Staffordshire

In the old village of Swynnerton on Lord Stafford’s estate is the dog-friendly Fitzherbert, perfect for a pint after a winter’s walk. Pups are welcome in the bar and snug, which entwine with an open-plan feel and are warmed by three delicious fires.

A vivacious team ferry platefuls of food to elegant tables: seafood platters, steak and stout pies, crumbles, brownies and local cheeses. Your four-legged friend won’t feel left out thanks to tasty treats on the bar.

sawdays.co.uk/pubs/thefitzherbertarms

The 30 best winter pubs in Britain, as selected by Sawday’s

Saturday 16th November 2019

The Bull’s Head, Mobberley, Cheshire

You feel the warmth as soon as you walk through the door of this pretty village pub. Candles glow on the tables, fires crackle, and the staff couldn’t be nicer. It holds a dog show every August and even has doggy beer behind the bar. Under a low-beamed ceiling, seven hand pumps dispense the finest local ales, including Bull’s Head Bitter and the inimitable Mobberley Wobbly.

sawdays.co.uk/pubs/thebullshead

The 30 best winter pubs in Britain, as selected by Sawday’s

After a marvellous year for the Church Inn team, from receiving National recognition to the success of ‘Pub in the Park’……we are delighted to announce that the Church Inn has been recognised in the Good Beer Guide 2020, for the first time since the pub was rescued from closure back in 2013 by Tim and Mary our owners!

To get in the Good Beer Guide is the ‘perfect match’ to the Church Inn also being confirmed in the Michelin Guide 2020 for our food, all in the same month! Good news for the Kitchen team and good news for the Bar team too.

Siobhan our general manager at the Church Inn said “We are naturally very proud indeed of this recognition from two very thorough publications…who have visited on numerous occasions to ensure we are to a high standard, consistently. The whole team play a part and work very hard indeed to deliver great food and drink. We are proud to use very local suppliers for all ale and our food too and they too must share in this recognition..Cheshire and Manchester Ales at their finest and great farms, bakers and butchers across the same region, local and proud togther”

The Fitzherbert Arms in Swynnerton, Staffordshire, situated on Lord Stafford’s estate, has been appointed a ‘Graham’s Port Ambassador’ at a Port Tasting evening held at the pub on the 24th October 2019. The Fitzherbert Arms is the first pub in the UK to be presented with the award and joins a very special group of just eight establishments worldwide. The award recognises not only the exceptional Port list, with 30 different Ports available, (twelve of which are served by the glass) but also the dedication and professionalism of the Fitzherbert team who have delivered a consistent experience over the past 3 years with Graham’s and Port overall.

João Vasconcelos, Head of Sales for the Symington Family Estates, flew in from Porto to present the plaque to James Griffiths, Landlord of The Fitzherbert Arms and his deputy manager Charlotte Dawe in recognition of the work they have done. It has been an exciting time for James and Charlotte, as both spent three days in Porto and the Douro Valley on a company trip in September to improve their knowledge and experience even further.

Commenting on the evening, Tim Bird and Mary Mclaughlin, the owners of the Fitzherbert Arms, stated “It has been a wonderful evening celebrating the Ports from this historical region of Portugal, we are over the moon and very honoured to own the first pub in the UK to be appointed as a Graham’s Port Ambassador. We look forward to continuing to increase the awareness and enjoyment of these amazing Ports in the Fitzherbert Arms and across our other pubs within our Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars Group. It was lovely to share this special night with our loyal customers and Lord Stafford. They too are very proud of the pubs achievement.”

Award-winning country pub, The Cholmondeley Arms, near Malpas in Cheshire, has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Gin Pub of the Year 2020’ by The Good Pub Guide. The award category, introduced for the very first time last year, was added to recognise the increasing number of pubs now stocking an impressive selection of gins. This is the second year running that the Cholmondeley Arms has been chosen for this award.

With its staggering collection of more than 400 gins, it’s amazing Gin and Music Festival held annually in July and its Gin Tasting Classes, the Cholmondeley Arms showed the consistency and innovation to keep the award a second year! The award recognised the Cholmondeley’s 8-year focus on gin, before the renaissance really began too. The award also comes in the very month of the eighth anniversary of owners Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin’s re-opening of the pub after its restoration to what you see today.

Tim Moody, General Manager of the Cholmondeley Arms, comments: “We’re proud and delighted to have been awarded the title of ‘Gin Pub of the Year for 2020’. Gin has always been our favourite tipple and being recognised with such a prestigious award for the second year running is a real boost for the whole team who have worked so hard to bring ‘Gin to the Inn’ here at the ‘Chum’. I’d like to say a big thank you to our excellent team and also to our loyal ‘gin loving’ customers – we couldn’t have done it without you all.”

MOBBERLEY Football Club are benefitting from Umbro’s ties to the village as they go from strength to strength.

They are looking ahead to a fresh season all kitted out in new gear – supported by the sportswear company and its birthplace, The Bulls Head, Mobberley. After a hiatus of nearly 40 years, MFC was re-established by a team of enthusiastic footballing parents in 2016.
Starting with just half a dozen children, MFC now boasts three full year groups of players from age five to 11 and have been playing matches in the Cheshire and Timperley District League since 2017.