Fitz does it again! A Special win in London!

On Tuesday 24th June, in London, our Fitzherbert Arms pub was crowned Best Pub in Staffordshire for 2025 at the Pub and Bar Magazine awards. Up against excellent opposition the Fitz triumphed for the fourth year running. We are all very proud of this achievement

Manager Rebecca and Head Chef Connor were away on holiday, so our most senior chefs Nathan and Andy travelled to London together and joined up with our sister pubs from Cheshire the Cholmondeley Arms and the Bulls Head who were also up for awards. The great photo shows Nathan and Andy showing off their award before taking the trip back to Swynnerton!

Manager Rebecca said….”what a true honour this is for the Fitzherbert Arms team and for Nathan and Andy to accept the award on the pub team’s behalf was so appropriate too! No one would deny the Fitz the title of the Best Pub in Staffordshire when so much hard work has gone in to our lovely village pub, cooking great food, serving cracking local ales, a fine collection of ports, log fires in the winter, lovely terraces in the summer, but most importantly a great team of people serving our loyalist customers, who have supported the Fitzherbert Arms over the years since it was rescued from closure….and of course our we have to remember our local suppliers too. A winning combination! Well done to everyone!”

Bulls Head is voted best in the Northwest!

On Tuesday 24th June, in London, our Bulls Head pub was crowned best Pub in Cheshire for 2025 and then went on to gain Best Pub in Northwest at the Pub and Bar Magazine’s National Awards 2025. This comes on the eve of our 15th Anniversary celebrations this coming weekend.

What great timing and yes, it is 15 years ago that owners Tim and Mary took on the Bulls Head on the verge of closure and turned around the fortunes of our great pub! Manager Steph, Head Chef Andy and Deputy Nathan travelled to London together and joined up with our Cholmondeley Arms manager Helen and Head Chef Richard who we also up for best in Cheshire.

Owner Tim said….”what a true honour this is for Steph, Andy, Nathan and Team Bully! No one would deny them the title of the Best Pub in the Northwest because it is! This is the perfect quintessential English village pub cooking great food, serving cracking local ales, a fine collection of whiskies, log fires in the winter, lovely garden in the summer, but most importantly a great team of people serving the loyalist customers, who have supported the Bulls Head over the years and of course our local suppliers too. A winning combination! Well done to everyone!”

Church Inn is a Nationally acclaimed Top 10 Pub!

At the National Pub and Bar Magazine Awards held in London on Tuesday 24th June, the leaders of the Hospitality industry came together to vote for their top pubs in the UK, and we are delighted to announce that our Church Inn pub came in at number 7!

 

This is really great recognition for Stewart and the Church Inn Team. We are all delighted for everyone concerned. Well done!

 

The Church Inn is rubbing shoulders with some top pubs with the winner at number 1 being the well-known Devonshire Arms in London.

 

Publican Awards 2025

Our boutique pub company Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns celebrated triple success at the hospitality industry’s ‘Oscars’.

Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns took home three titles on the night down in London, scooping the prize for Best Operations Team, Best Drinks Act and Best Food Act at The Publican Awards 2025.

The awards, organised by leading trade title The Morning Advertiser, celebrate the best in the business and culminate in an outstanding night at Evolution London, bringing together the leading pub and bar operators from across the UK.

Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns has its base in the village of Mobberley, Cheshire and operates seven village and country pubs, five in Cheshire and two in North Staffordshire. They are celebrating their 15th year this year at their first pub in the Northwest, the Bulls Head in Mobberley. Owners Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin were over the moon with such a great achievement!

“We took our managers and head chefs with us to London and what a night it turned out to be. To win one Publican Award is difficult enough but to win three is frankly amazing….. we are so proud! Our entire team across our seven pubs are the real winners, we are so delighted for all of them.” 

The Morning Advertiser editor Ed Bedington said: “Big congratulations to all our finalists and winners tonight, particularly Cheshire Cat for pulling off the impressive feat of winning all three of its categories.

“These awards celebrate the best in the business and recognise operators that are performing at the very top of their game. The pub and bar sector, and the wider hospitality industry, is facing some unprecedented challenges, particularly in vastly increased taxation, but it is good to step back and recognise some of the amazing work that is going on.

“These awards show that despite the challenges everyone is facing, standards are not being allowed to slip and the sector remains committed to operating at the highest possible levels.”

Wine Champions Take the Lead in ‘Pour & Explore’ Series

Our Wine Champions have just completed their latest training series, Pour & Explore, and what a journey it’s been!

Over the past few months, Champions from each of our pubs have deepened their knowledge of wine production, tasting, food pairing, and guest storytelling. Through workshops, supplier sessions, and creative projects, they’ve gained the skills to confidently train their teams and elevate the guest experience across the group.

The series culminated in The Grape Escape — an eight-day inter-pub challenge where teams competed to sell the most of our limited-edition wines, inspired by vineyard visits in Porto and Mallorca. Each pub created their own food and wine pairing menus, with Champions leading the way in training, marketing, and service.

The Roebuck Inn took home the win for top sales and the most diverse wine offering—proof of excellent team training and tailored guest engagement.

Will Matison, Wine Champion at The Roebuck, was crowned our overall winner, scoring top marks in every category.

We’re incredibly proud of the knowledge, creativity, and teamwork shown throughout this training programme. A big thank you to all the Champions and pubs who got stuck in and brought the project to life—we can’t wait to see how you use your skills in service going forward.

Next up for our Wine Champions – our Perfect Pours & Signature Sips series launches in May!

Fitzherbert Arms wins Gold.

Left to Right Asst. Managers Tim and Zee, Head Chef Connor, Manager Rebecca and Rooms Manager Kelly.

We are delighted to announce that our Fitzherbert Arms in the village of Swynnerton has won the top Gold Award and become Pub of the Year 2025 at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards.

General Manager Rebecca, Head Chef Connor, Asst Managers Tim and Zee and Rooms Manager Kelly were all at the Hilton Hotel reception when their win was announced. Sponsored by the University of Staffordshire, the awards celebrate local businesses across the county. The Fitzherbert Arms is an award-winning pub in its own right, winning the ‘Best Taste Award’ at the Pub and Bar Magazine Awards last year. The Fitz’ were up against very strong opposition but came out smiling. The entry and judging process was vigorous to say the least and to come out on top is truly amazing! Rebecca added “we are truly over the moon, there were some great pubs in the line up, so to win Gold is a superb reflection on all the team’s efforts to make the Fitz’ such a special pub.

Only a year ago the Fitzherbert Arms opened its 10 Guest Bedrooms in the old Fitzherbert Farmhouse. A grade 2 listed building, it is a wonderful place to stay when enjoying the great attractions of Staffordshire. Owners

Mary McLaughlin and Tim Bird, who also have the Mainwaring Arms in Whitmore, as well as five award-winning pubs in Cheshire added, “we are so delighted for Rebecca and the team! The Fitz is a very special pub but what makes it truly special are the team and of course our customers and guests. They along with our local suppliers can all be proud of this award. We share it with everybody.

 

 

 

Cooking Up Change at the Vegetarian Society HQ!

At Cheshire Cat Pubs, we know that great food starts with great ingredients—but just as important is the passion, creativity, and knowledge of the chefs behind it. That’s why we recently took our Head Chefs out of their kitchens and into the heart of plant-based innovation at the Vegetarian Society HQ!

This wasn’t just about learning how to make a ‘good’ veggie dish—it was about rethinking plant-based cooking entirely. Our chefs explored ways to create plant-rich plates that are just as exciting, delicious, and thoughtfully crafted as our meat and seafood dishes. No more predictable mushroom risottos—think heritage ingredients, bold flavors, and making the most of every part of the plant. From using beetroot stems for crunch, carrot tops in vibrant pesto, and chickpea water (aquafaba) for a silky vegan mayo, our chefs embraced sustainable, low-waste cooking that champions both the environment and flavor.

Beyond the food, this trip was a chance for our team to step back, connect, and gain fresh inspiration. We pride ourselves on promoting from within, and our Head Chefs—each of whom has worked their way up in the business—already share a strong bond. But getting out of the kitchen together, learning from experts, and seeing food from new perspectives strengthens that connection even further. The ideas, energy, and new techniques they bring back to their teams will shape the dishes on your plate in ways you might not even realize.

Of course, our commitment to plant-rich cooking isn’t just about great food—it’s about sustainability, too. We work closely with local farmers across Cheshire and Staffordshire, sourcing fresh, seasonal vegetables that reflect our shared values of environmental and social responsibility. Supporting small-scale growers means we know exactly where our food comes from, and it allows us to reduce food miles while keeping our menus packed with the best produce our countryside has to offer.

This is what we love about Cheshire Cat Pubs—our commitment to ongoing learning, team building, and always pushing for something better. Whether you’re joining us for a meal or thinking about becoming part of our team, know that here, we never settle for ‘good enough’—we always strive to learn more, do more, and serve up something truly special.

Elevating Our Guest Experience with Low & No Alcohol Training

At Cheshire Cat Pubs, we’re always looking for ways to enhance our guest experience, and our recent Low & No Alcohol Training Session is a perfect example of that commitment. Last week, we brought together all of our Beer, Spirit, and Wine Champions for a day packed with learning, tasting, and collaboration.

The session, designed to prepare our teams for the festive season and Dry January, focused on equipping them with expert knowledge about some fantastic low and no-alcohol options. We were thrilled to host an incredible line-up of suppliers who shared their products and insights. The session gave our champions a chance to deep dive into the production processes, flavour profiles, and perfect serves for some of our incredible products – Wild Idol, Zonin, Lucky Saint, Guinness Zero, Seedlip, Tanqueray 0.0, Captain Morgan Zero and Everleaf. More importantly, it highlighted how much care and thought goes into creating these drinks, ensuring our teams can share that passion with our guests.

For our designated drivers, guests cutting back over Christmas, or anyone joining the Dry January movement, we’re ready to provide exceptional, thoughtful drink options. This training helps us ensure that every guest feels considered and catered to, no matter their preferences. Our champions left the session energised, knowledgeable, and eager to pass on what they’ve learned to their teams. This knowledge will elevate the guest experience in all our pubs, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the festive season with an outstanding drink in hand.

We’re proud of the hard work our champions put in and grateful to the amazing suppliers who helped make it happen. Stay tuned for more updates as our teams continue to raise the bar in delivering exceptional experiences. Cheers!

Cheshire Cat Team head to Porto!

It is that time of the year again as our team of managers and support managers head off to on another trip to thank them for their efforts in a record-breaking year.

We were heading out to Porto for two nights and three days, experiencing wine and port in and around the Douro Valley, Porto and Vila Nova De Gaia. On day one we arrived safely in Porto on time and headed straight out to Vila Nova Vineyards. We sell some Vila Nova wines in our pubs including a great Alvarinho, so it was great to visit where the wine is produced. We were all staying in separate three-bedroom cottages in the grounds of the Vineyards. A storm was brewing, and the weather initially was wet and windy but we were indoors where we enjoyed the wines and a wonderful lunch in the Vila Nova estate house. Bonardo was our host and what a great host he was! We had chance to relax in our accommodation in the late afternoon having got up early that morning and then feeling refreshed we enjoyed a great traditional Portuguese meal at a local restaurant.

As we arrived back to our rooms the wind was getting up and through the night the storm was so bad it took out all the power, which in turn took out all the water, as it was on an electrical pump! Trees were uprooted and our visit to the Douro Valley Vineyards was aborted because Bonardo and his team had to deal with the ‘fallout’ from the storm. It was like an episode of ‘Survivor’ as the team sent out Adam our host to the local supermarket and boiled bottled water to wash and make tea and coffee. Just as everyone had boiled the water the power thankfully came on and everyone managed to freshen up. We travelled out to the Douro Valley anyway and had a great lunch on the river before making our way to the luxury of our hotel in Porto. The team recovered enough to enjoy a great night out, some dancing in to the ‘wee hours’!

Next morning coffee and custard tarts were the hangover cure before we then drove out to Graham’s Lodge over the Douro River from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia. We were guests of Anthony Symington who is a fifth-generation member of the famous Symington Family who own the Graham’s, Dows, Warres and Cockburns Port houses as well as many Quintas along the Douro Valley where the grapes are grown and harvested before being brought to the port houses or lodges opposite Porto for port making and aging. We enjoyed an exceptional tour and tasting at Graham’s Lodge and then joined Anthony, as his guests, for lunch in the highly acclaimed restaurant at Graham’s Lodge. It was a great afternoon and a perfect farewell to a very memorable trip once again to this beautiful part of Europe. Well done to all the team for all their hard work this year. It was a great trip, educational too and richly deserved.

 

 

Head Chefs enjoy Ireland 2023

It was typical Irish weather when the plane landed in Belfast International Airport! Drizzle and cloud welcomed us as our head chefs jumped into cars driven by owners Mary and Tim heading out to the spectacular north coast and the ‘Giant’s Causeway’ which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The day brightened slightly as we walked down to the coastline to take in the stones and the views. The other great thing about the Giant’s Causeway is its proximity to Bushmills Distillery. Bushmills was given a license to distil whiskey way back in 1608 making it the oldest distillery in the world. The tour is a ‘must do’ when out in these parts. The sheer scale of Bushmills is unreal as it distils whiskey for the world! Using the water of the River Bush the mills are dotted around the river hence the name. Of course, we had to taste a few drams before we left for our lunch.

The onward journey took us into Derry and on to Co. Donegal in the Irish Republic. Here in the tiny village of Glen the chefs checked into Tara’s Cots for the night. The rooms are situated next to the famous Glen Bar where supper was booked. The Glen Bar has won many awards of late and their Head Chef Kieran is cooking up a storm. Our Head Chefs could relax in the knowledge they were in very good hands! A great night followed!

The next day we headed off to our next Whiskey distillery and one of the newest in Ireland. The Crolly Distillery in Crolly, Donegal, is a must visit too. The polar opposite of Bushmills in terms of age and production levels. Yet still great history. This is the first distillery in Donegal for 180 years and to celebrate this has 180 ‘Founders’ who have all invested in a barrel of whiskey each. Our company with Tim and Mary at the helm have barrel number 160. The chefs were able to see the barrel and visit this small yet amazing distillery. Officially in October 2024 our whiskey will have been in the barrel three years and one day making it officially a whiskey! We will then wait two further years before we decide what to do with it…..bottle it or age it for another 5 years!

The chefs enjoyed a great (and much needed) Irish burger for lunch at a local restaurant before we headed back to the airport to head home after what was a fantastic trip.

Thank you to everyone for making us feel so welcome.