Style of offer
This Grade 2 listed pub dates back to 1715 and sits opposite St. Wilfrid’s Church in the leafy village of Mobberley. Described as a Country tavern with dining rooms, the pub pays homage to its local history and George Mallory, the famous mountaineer who died on Everest in 1924 and whose father was Reverend at the Church.
This beautiful little village pub nestled near the local school with lovely views of farmer’s fields specialises in wine with over eighty different wines on offer by the bottle and all sold by grape type. There are 15 by the glass.
The Food act is modern British with a young kitchen brigade. Everything is freshly prepared as you would expect and the menu changes every six weeks with specials featuring during the week. too. The menu works to the seasons ensuring as much in season produce is used.
One can book tables in the intimate dining rooms or simply eat casually without a booking in the tavern and the boot room. While the Church Inn sets its stall out to be a dining pub it still has all the things you would expect from a good country pub. Dogs are welcome in the bar area and boot room where they can wash their paws, drink dog beer and eat a biscuit or two! There are four local ales, craft Titanic Stout and a number of craft fizzy beers too. There is a terrace for al fresco dining and a tranquil rear terrace with small garden and those farmer’s fields!
Design (interior and exterior)
The pub oozes character with open fires, old wood tables and walls adorned with old pictures and local history. There are two private dining rooms provide acomforting ambience sharing original features such as the original horse hair and lime plaster walls, so guests can imagine how it would feel in 1715. There is also plenty of outdoor space with a tranquil terrace, stunning garden & an old bowling green.
The pub is listed so the charm of the building was retained when it was restored following its closure back in 2013. It has some lovely fire places and pays homage to the local cricket club down the hill within the bar areawith old bats and news features. Over 200 old wines that were drunk through the last three years adorn the walls and the Victorian bar still has a shelf in front to grab your own glass to hand to the bartender.
The cosy rooms of the pub have to be seen to be really appreciated and the Church Inn was recognised winning the Hilden Style Award for 2016.
Staff training, support and engagement
Our customer care values lie firstly in the people we employ. We hold regular staff meetings with all members of staff to ensure everyone is up to date and feel part of our 'extended family'. We organise staff trips to ensure staff feel valued and remain motivated but the trips also aid the team’s knowledge through the experience, whether with wine, Gin or beer tasting.
At the Church Inn we have developed the kitchen crew through the ranks and we have also developed members of the floor team to Asst. and junior deputy managers. Two Asst. Managers formerly developed through the Church Inn run the Roebuck Inn for the company now. The team love the extra knowledge they require to work at the Church Inn, knowing more about wine and more about the make-up of the dishes.
Achieving high levels of service and knowledge is why the Church Inn have won the plaudits they have.
Food Offer
The food offer changes regularly and really links with what is in season; this means the pub constantly uses ingredients bursting with flavour from local producers. The food is described as Modern British and features a main menu with lunchtime specials and a Sunday menu. There are naturally some tavern favourites with some exceptional season specials. The Kitchen crew have arrived from the kitchens of Jason Atherton, Michael Caine, Simon Rimmer and Aiden Byrne so have a good depth of knowledge but are now putting that knowledge in to modern pub food.
The Kitchen prepare a tasting menu for Saturday Evenings and of course work with private dinners in the Private Dining rooms on the first floor of the pub.
Drinks Range
The pub boasts more than 80 different wines from all over the world with a careful selection process to provide a wonderful balance of ‘old world’ and ‘new world’ wines. The pub also offers more than 15 different wines by the glass, which gives a great variety for guests who are popping in for a glass by the fire.
All wines are listed by the grape on the wine list so a Malbec lover for example has a choice of five different malbecs to experiment with. The Church Inn educates the customer giving them different tastes by the glass so we choose not to pour merlot and pinot grigio and instead pour a Pecorino and a Carmeniere.
With regards to beer, The Church Inn only uses micro-brewers for local cask ale and also offers guest keg craftbeers and stouts.
Accreditation
The Church Inn is the holder of Cheshire Life Magazine, Dining Pub of The Year 2017-2018, we are so very proud of this accolade. Over the years leading to this win The Church Inn has won many other accolades:
Chairman’s choice – best dining pub award for South Manchester at The Eat Drink Sleep awards
UK’s New Pub of the Year from the Good Pub Guide
Most stylish dining experience – Hilden Awards
The Church Inn is listed in the Sawdays Guide, AA Pub Guide, Michelin Food and Pub Guide and the Good Pub guide
Pub and Bar Magazine Best Cheshire, North West and U.K. pub of the year 2016
Cheshire Cat is the Good Pub Guide’s Pub Group of the Year 2017.
Marketing and promotions
Word of mouth is our most important form of connecting with the customer and the business has grown through this. We are tweeting and came second in the companies tweeting competition. We send our web built database ‘leaflets’ for upcoming events and special weeks but that’s it really. We are in all the guides and have become famous for our private Dining Rooms and our wine tastings too.
Events and entertainment
Wine tasting is our most popular event, held in the Mallory Room upstairs, with the fire lit, the room is perfect. We celebrate Game at the pub and have great end of season game evenings. We don’t really need entertainment as such and the pub is quite small so the focus is really on the food and the wine.
