By The MA, 16-Mar-2017
Pioneering food couple Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin have used their vast experience in the foodservice sector to build their growing fleet of seven food-led pubs. Read More
Cheshire Cat Pub and Bars, has been named as ‘Pub Group of the Year 2016/17’ by the prestigious Good Pub Guide. The award follows a string of successes for the company over the year including being chosen as the Best Drinks Act in the UK at the Publican Awards in London.
The Good Pub Guide is the number one selling guide book for pubs in the UK. This award is given from the guide to pub groups that are first rate in every way and run by people who really care about both their pubs and their customers. The 2017 Good Pub Guide will feature over 5,000 pubs demonstrating just how stiff the competition is.
Owner Tim Bird comments: “This is a true accolade and we are very, very proud indeed. This award will mean the world to our entire team and our customers, as it recognises our teams huge efforts in helping us run wonderfully individual pubs well. It also recognises our collective efforts in rescuing pubs that were previously closed down or lost causes. Our pubs and Inns now shine brightly for our many loyal customers to enjoy for many years to come”.
The pub group was chosen by Fiona Stapeley, editor of the Good Pub Guide, and were marked on a range of criteria from the quality of service to product range, aesthetic design and the pub’s hospitality.
“The pubs have a great deal of individuality both in their décor, their choice of drinks, their food and their atmosphere,” says Fiona. “These pubs have consistently good feedback from all our readers. As I edit the book it becomes obvious which group of pubs really stand out head and shoulders above the others. Of course competition is stiff, but this year it was a straight-forward choice for me.”
Cheshire Cats Pubs & Bars is owned and operated by Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, who have a collection of award winning pubs across Cheshire, Staffordshire and Dorset. Earlier this year the group were voted the Best Drinks Act in the UK at the prestigious Publican Awards ceremony in London. Their Church Inn won the coveted award of ‘UK’s Best Pub’ this summer, as well as their Fitzherbert Arms in Staffordshire scooping Sawday’s ‘Best Newcomer’.
Cheshire Cats Pubs & Bars, who own and operate The Cholmondeley Arms on the Cholmondeley estate, The Bulls Head and Church Inn in Mobberley, the Three Greyhounds Inn in Allostock, the Fitzherbert Arms in Swynnerton and the Red Lion in Weymouth, Dorset, has been voted the company with the Best Drinks Act in the UK at the prestigious Publican Awards ceremony in London.
Cheshire Cats Pubs & Bars beat a number of national chains to the title, drawing high praise from the judges for supporting cask ales from local brewers. The company was also awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ title in the Best Food Offer category.
Each pub within the collection specializes in a particular drink with The Cholmondeley Arms boasting more than 300 gins, the Red Lion offering more than 80 rums and the Fitzherbert Arms offering over 30 Ports by the bottle. Whiel the Bulls Head, Three Greyhounds Inn and the Church have enviable collections of Whisky, Brandy and wine respectfully.
Tim Bird, owner of the unique collection of village pubs and country inns, comments: “These awards are equivalent to the drinks industry’s ‘Oscars’ and it is fantastic that our pubs and our teams has been recognized in this way. The award recognises the hard work that the team puts in and how we work with local breweries, suppliers and food producers to bring a memorable and unique experience to our customers everyday.”
Ed Bebbington, of the Publican’s Morning Advertiser, comments: “This is a company that puts a lot of time and thought into getting its drink offer right, from its superb focus on local, great beers, through to an impressive offer of wines and spirits.”
Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin, owners of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, have already won numerous awards for restoring pubs of great heritage and character and are now focused on the Roebuck Inn, also in Mobberley which after three years of closure is set to open in April.
For further information on Cheshire Cat Pubs and its collection of pubs, please visit www.cheshirecatpubsandbars.co.uk.
Brandy is celebrated here at the Three Greyhounds Inn with Volume three, Our ‘300th Birthday Edition’ of our Brandy Bible being produced especially for the cooler months. We have over fifty brandies on the bar from classic Cognac and Armagnac through to some of the best Spanish brandies around. We have fruit brandies with the most famous being our English Farm Cider brandies from Somerset. We also have Pomace Brandy from classic Italian Grappa to interesting Mallorcan and Spanish alternatives.
There is nothing better than a walk around a crisp, cold Shakerley Mere before coming to the Three Greyhounds Inn for a Coffee and a little nip of brandy. If you find brandy too harsh then try one of our Spanish brandies which are aged in sherry barrels and have a ‘sweeter’ more palatable finish.
Brandy is a great after dinner drink too and the brandy ‘bible’ not only gives you a brief history but also lists all the brandies on the bar with their varying prices making it an ideal accompaniment to our cheese list.
We look forward to warming you up here at the Three Greyhounds Inn
For a full version of The Three Greyhounds Brandy Bible click here
Last week we launched Dogs Dinners at The Three Greyhounds Inn, we now offer a doggie menu featuring a selection of dry food from Ocars pet food.The menu includes a Lamb and Rice meal, a Chicken and Rice meal and some tasty treats, all meals are gluten free and contain no artificial flavouring.All of these tasty meals and snacks can be washed down by some doggie beer… yes that’s right doggie beer (non-alcoholic of course)! The first choice beverage for many dogs, is a meat stock based drink.
Dogs are welcome in the ‘Brandy Snug’ and also in our large garden. There is a lovely strole around Shakerely Mere nature reserve. Our walk leaflets can either picked up from within the pub of found on the website.
Don’t forget there are doggie treats on the bar provided by our friends at WAGS Kennels, Middlewhich.
See doggie menu below.
The team have worked hard over the last few days on Summer drinks training and you can see from the photo that the drinks were put on the bar for
customers and staff to sample…the most popular being the ‘Brandy Mule’ which is our take on the famous Moscow Mule except using brandy instead of
vodka, with chilled organic ginger beer and fresh limes with ice.
Also enjoyed were the ‘Apple Orchard Mist’ using apple juice and cider brandy in the form of our Kingston Black or Somerset Pamona mixed with lemonade and then with ice, fresh mint, Orange, Strawberry and cucumber, think of an Applely Pimms and you have it!!
As you will see from the photo of the summer drinks board there are a few more including the ever popular Pimms No.1 and the increasingly popular
Aperol Spritz ….sunshine in a glass.
So even if there is a little cloud about pop in and cheer yourself up with a special summer drink and test the team!
Starting out from The Three Greyhounds Inn
Regular customer Clare and cycling buddy Paul are the first customers to complete what is now called the Cheshire Cat Quad. They cycled between our four Cheshire Pubs and the total distance they cycled on Friday was 62.2 miles at an average speed of 17.1mph. The duration of the ride was just under 5 hours with a 30 minute refuel break of bananas, toast and tea at our Cholmondeley Arms pub near Malpas and a 20 minute puncture stop on the A49 at Bartington!!!
They were somewhat hampered from the start on the navigation front as they could not set the route on Paul’s new Garmin so had to wing it on memory!! This meant Clare and Paul probably did not go the most direct route!
They left our Three Greyhounds Inn in Allostock near Holmes Chapel at 8.30am heading towards the A556 through Northwich and Hartford(!) before hitting the A51 and then picking up the A49 at Oakmere. They then took a quiet route through Eaton village before climbing the Wrenbury road and arriving 29 miles later at our Cholmondeley Arms pub.
The return journey was repeated until they once again arrived at Oakmere but then they continued on the A49 past Weaverham up to Bartington and the puncture repair stop. Once on familiar turf they went on quieter roads through Comberbach , Great Budworth and on to Knutsford. The final leg was turning left onto the B5085 to our Church Inn pub in Mobberley for a quick photo before a downhill finish to The Bulls Head for 1.30pm to meet their family and have a much needed lunch and relax in the sunny beer garden.
On arrival at the Bulls Head Clare told us…..
“Paul and I both felt elated and relieved to have completed the ‘Cheshire Cat Quad’ especially as our navigation failed due to our inability to programme it correctly rather than technological failure! We had a brilliant cycle with favourable weather conditions and warm hospitality shown at all of Tim and Mary’s pubs. We will be by no means the fastest but at least we are the first to complete what will be a great cycle ride for many”
“Thank you for setting up a most enjoyable challenge”
Previously loyal customer and very keen cyclist Jonathon was the first of our cycling customers to complete the ‘Cheshire Cat Pub to Pub to Pub (Trio) Challenge’ last winter 2013 when we had just three pubs in Cheshire.
If you are a keen cyclist and want to be listed as a ‘Cheshire Cat Quad Cycling Challenge beater’ then let us know by emailing us at info@cheshirecatpubsandbars.co.uk We can then help you plan your trip and ensure your photo is taken with your trusty bike at each pub. You will get your photo in our ‘hall of fame’ and we will welcome you at the final pub with a drink on the house!!
The Three Greyhounds Inn played host to the Ashbourne Classic Car Club on Sunday. Chosen for the pubs ideal location it makes for an excellent ‘stop off’ for refreshments and showing off cars. The Pub is situated on the busy B-road the Holmes Chapel Road. Ideal for accessing Lach Dennis, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Lower Peover, Middlewich, Northwich not to mention Goostrey, Byley and Cranage.
There is ample parking for 50-60 cars depending on the time of day and the day of the week.
On this occasion the Ashbourne Classic Car club arrived at 10am for tea/coffee and Brunch nibbles before heading on to their event. The cars on show are pictured below.
Any Car Clubs looking for an exceptional venue to meet at by all means get in touch with James the General Manager and Landlord of the Three Greyhounds Inn and discuss what we can do to entertain you and your car club members.
If you are looking to join a car club then we run The Cholmondeley Car Club which operates from our sister pub the Cholmondeley Arms near Malpas or we have a specific Porsche Club called the 3p Club which operates from our other sister pub the Bulls Head in Mobberley as well as our Goodfellows Car Club which also meets at the Bulls Head see www.cholmondeleyarms.co.uk or www.thebullsheadpub.co.uk for further details.
A big thank you to the Ashbourne Classic Car club for calling in.
Ashbourne Classic Car Club
