Our pub company Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns, owned by Tim and Mary, is celebrating again after two of their pubs achieved great accolades at the Pub and Bar Magazine Awards in London on Wednesday 26th June 2024. The Cholmondeley Arms and the Fitzherbert Arms made the journey to the awards having been chosen as County winners of Cheshire and Staffordshire respectively.

Cholmondeley Arms Manager Helen and Deputy manager Leigh arrived in London to see if the Cholmondeley Arms Team could go one further and win the Northwest region. Great news! The Chum won it! We now have the honour of ‘Best in the Northwest’ back within our Company Cheshire Cat. We held the honour previously with our sister pub the Church Inn back in 2021. Owners Tim and Mary were at the awards to help the teams celebrate!

The Fitzherbert Arms meanwhile had already won ‘Best Pub in Staffordshire’ for the third year running. The Fitz Manager Rebecca and Head Chef Connor headed to London to see if the Fitzherbert Arms Team could go one further and win the West Midlands region. To their complete surprise they went one better and won the honour of the National ‘Best Taste’ Award sponsored by Tyrells Crisps, which recognised most notably the great food performance under the stewardship of Head Chef Connor and his kitchen team and of course the effort of the entire team who make the Fitz the great pub it is today.

Please check out the photo of the entire team at the awards and you’ll notice the enormous bag of Tyrells crisps which has a photo of the Fitzherbert Arms across the front! It was fun carrying that around London after the awards! All in all, it was a great night in London, and we are all very proud of Rebecca, Connor and the entire Fitz team and Helen and Leigh and the entire Cholmondeley Arms team.

From left to right Cholmondeley deputy manager Leigh, Cholmondeley manager Helen, Cheshire Cat owner Tim, Fitzherbert Arms head chef Connor, Cheshire Cat owner Mary and Fitzherbert Manager Rebecca!

The Cholmondeley Arms, on Lord Cholmondeley’s estate in Cheshire has been declared Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards 2023. The pub was named the overall winner having won the ‘Rural Pub of the Year’ category at the awards held at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on Tuesday night.

The awards, presented by Edith Bowman, are a showcase of the country’s best pubs, shining a light on the pub hospitality sector and those who work within it.

Cheshire Cat Pubs and Inns, owned by Tim Bird and Mary Mclaughlin, operates seven pubs and inns across Cheshire and Staffordshire, including the recently opened Mainwaring Arms on the Whitmore Estate in North Staffordshire and the award winning Church Inn in Mobberley, Cheshire.

Owner Tim Bird said of the win: “We will be a beacon of hope for rural pubs, with so many being forced to close due to ongoing economic headwinds. For the team, this is just amazing. Helen Mosford, our manager, has worked at the Cholmondeley for 12 years, taking on the role of manager earlier this year. Helen is the epitome of what makes a pub special, and we are so incredibly proud of her and every member of the team.”

Tim and Mary took on the Cholmondeley Arms in 2011, transforming the former schoolhouse through a significant restoration and refurbishment. The menu, created by Executive Chef Richard Williams and Head Chef Pawel Samczynski, offers locally-sourced produce, and the drinks offering includes a collection of 366 gins. The pub has its own gins too, the award winning Cholmondeley Arms Gin and Pink Gin. Adjacent to the Cholmondeley Arms is the ‘Old Headmaster’s House’ with its six newly refurbished bedrooms, perfect for an overnight stay in the country.

Join us in congratulating Helen, Richard and the whole team at the Cholmondeley Arms with their amazing double-win!

Our Bulls Head pub in Mobberley has exciting news….it has made the final of the Great British Pub Awards 2023 for the ‘Best Pub for Pet Dogs’.

Since opening 13 years ago, under the ownership of Tim and Mary, the Bulls Head has been a dog’s favourite pub! Free dog biscuits on the bar, dog beer, a dog menu, puppy blankets, water bowls aplenty and of course the now legendary, annual Dog Show held in the garden each year in August. All reasons the Bulls Head has impressed the judges to make this final. 13 years ago pubs were not really that ‘Dog Friendly’ at all, but with so many pet dogs being walked around the village the Bulls Head set its stall out to be the perfect place to walk (or drive) your dog to.

Steph and the team have worked tirelessly to make our four-legged friends welcome and now they have been rightly rewarded with this recognition. On 19^th September 2023 we will find out who has won. There is still some tough judging to go to keep us on our paws, but we are confident we can bring it home for the hounds! A massive well done to Steph and the team for getting this far and making the National final…..fingers crossed!

Having come runners-up in the Cheshire Life Magazine’s Cheshire Dining Pub of the Year final at the end of July, we are now proud to announce that the Cholmondeley Arms (The Chum) is a finalist again. This time in the National Great British Pub Awards 2023. The Chum has come through vigorous judging to make it to the final of Best Country/Rural Pub 2023 category. Judges are still to visit, with final interviews in late August. It is very tense, but we believe we can lift the trophy come 19^th September and celebrate on behalf of the many rural pubs that support communities across Cheshire.

Helen and the team have done a great job after the Chum, like many pubs, had to come back from the numerous  pandemic closures and its severe aftermath that affected staffing and of course the challenges of increased costs since. The Chum has sailed through many storms and is doing very well again now, we are pleased to say. Having had investment in the guest bedrooms in the Headmaster’s house adjacent to the pub and decorative work inside the pub itself, it offers a wonderful place to visit when out and about in rural Cheshire. We are very proud of the kitchen team who have cooked their hearts out since things returned to ‘normal’ and to the front of house team who ensure everyone receives a warm welcome! We will keep you posted on our progress, so fingers crossed for the Chum and the Team! Well done for reaching such an important National final!

Once again, the Fitzherbert Arms was part of the 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who scooped a prestigious County Winner title as part of the 2023 National Pub & Bar Magazine Awards. This is the fourth time the Fitzherbert team have been recognised by the publication as Staffordshire’s Best Pub since the Fitz re-opened in 2016 after a period of closure.

The National Pub & Bar Awards aims to put exemplary businesses across the UK in the national spotlight, showcasing the hospitality industry’s diversity, creativity and vital importance to the UK economy.

The announcement of this year’s 94 County Winners shows the level of quality being delivered to pub and bar visitors every day of the week.

The Fitzherbert Arms was selected on overall best practice across a number of operational categories and was officially crowned at a ‘red carpet’ celebration at 30 Euston Square, London, on Wednesday 23 June 2023.

Head Chef Connor joined owners Tim and Mary on the trip to London to celebrate the award and enjoyed time in the City looking at food operations of interest.

Mary said “we are very proud indeed of the Fitzherbert Team. They have shown an amazing degree of consistency over the years and deserve this award. It was great to be accompanied by Connor our head chef who plays a very big part, with his kitchen team, in the success of the Fitz, a big well done and thank you!”

With consumer confidence on the rise and hospitality venues continuing their journey on the road to recovery, 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have scooped a prestigious County Winner title as part of the 2022 National Pub & Bar Magazine Awards, including our very own Church Inn for Cheshire and our Fitzherbert Arms for Staffordshire.

The National Pub & Bar Awards aims to put exemplary businesses across the UK in the national spotlight, showcasing the hospitality industry’s diversity, creativity and vital importance to the UK economy.

The announcement of this year’s 94 County Winners shows the level of quality being delivered to pub and bar visitors every day of the week.

The pubs, which have been selected on overall best practice across a number of operational categories, will be officially crowned at a ‘red carpet’ celebration at 30 Euston Square, London, on Wednesday 22 June 2022. At this ‘grand finale’, 15 Regional Winners will also be announced, as well as the esteemed accolade – the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year 2022. An award which has been won twice by our Church Inn in Mobberley in 2019/20 and 2016/17.

“Just from being out and about, you can see how much pubs and bars mean to people across the UK,” says Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which hosts the event. “With visitor numbers increasing, it’s more important than ever for operators to deliver standout service and product quality during every visit – no matter the business in question. The 94 County Winners are wonderful examples of the brilliance of today’s modern on-trade. If you live near one of these county winners, make sure you pay them a visit!”

The National Pub & Bar Awards is sponsored by Hellmann’s, Kegstar, Kingfisher, Knorr and St Pierre.