Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars to open fifth pub in late May: Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars, headed by Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, expects to open its fifth pub, The Church Inn in Mobberley, in late May – it acquired the freehold of the pub in January. The company stated: “We hope to add some bedrooms to the pub and we would also expect to take on functions and private dinner parties. The menu will be focused on lunch and supper and the wine list will be wider reaching. The aim is to offer a different experience to our wonderful Bulls Head and ensure Mobberley has two fantastic pubs famous for their people, their food and drink plus the differing occasions they offer.” Bird was formerly part of Michael Cannon’s management team that acquired companies such as Morrells of Oxford and Eldridge Pope. He was more recently managing director of Brunning and Price and the Freehouse Pub Company within the Restaurant Group. McLaughlin was formerly managing director of La Tasca and grew the Spanish restaurant chain from three to over 70 restaurants nationwide.

Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars acquires fifth site: Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars, headed by Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, has bought The Church Inn at Mobberley, Cheshire, which will be developed with new letting rooms and a larger functions trade. Other sites operated by the company are the Bull’s Head, also in Mobberley; the Three Greyhounds Inn near Holmes Chapel, Cheshire; the Red Lion in Weymouth, Dorset; and The Cholmondeley Arms near Malpas in Cheshire. Bird developed Que Pasa at Eldridge Pope while McLaughlin was formerly managing director of Spanish restaurant chain La Tasca. Kelly Catterall, Christie Finance consultant, who helped arrange the finance, said: “We are delighted to have secured the funding to enable Mary and Tim to acquire their next business venture. The combination of their existing sector knowledge and excellent reputation as established operators, together with our unrivalled sector knowledge and established relationships with lenders, means we have been able to negotiate a competitive facility and introduced a lender who will assist Mary and Tim with their growth plans in the future.”

Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, the pub company headed by trade veterans Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, has secured its fifth pub – the Church Inn at Mobberley, Cheshire, which is to be developed with new letting rooms. M&C Report

THE CHURCH INN

We can now finally confirm that this afternoon on Thursday 24^th January 2013 our company Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars Ltd has acquired the freehold of the Church Inn in Mobberley.

We are very pleased to add this historic and unique pub to our proud collection of pubs in Cheshire.

The Church Inn will sit as a ‘sister’ pub to the Bulls Head. The Church Inn will be differentiated from the Bulls Head in the main, giving us another style of pub operation to complement the village of Mobberley and surrounding towns and cities.

The Church Inn is a grade two listed building and has today been closed as we seek planning permission for alterations to ensure this characterful pub is restored beyond any ‘former glory’.

We hope to have the permissions within 6 weeks and then we would expect to spend 6 weeks on the restoration so opening towards the end of April 2013.

We hope to add some bedrooms to the pub and we would also expect to take on functions and private dinner parties. The menu will be focussed on lunch and supper and the wine list will be wider reaching. The aim is to offer a different experience to our wonderful Bulls Head and ensure Mobberley has two fantastic pubs famous for their people, their food and drink plus the differing occasions they offer.