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.

A great night at the Pub and Bar Magazine Awards in London! The Fitzherbert Arms had already won ‘Best Pub in Staffordshire’ in the Awards a month or so ago 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 ‘Good 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.

Owners Tim and Mary were at the awards along with Helen and Leigh from our Cholmondeley Arms who won ‘Best in the Northwest’ on the night too, making it a double for Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars! Please check out the photos 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.

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.

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