From Friday lunch time the 19th October 2012 the new Autumn menu will be launched here at the Cholmondeley Arms. Christian our head chef and his excellent team have been working hard to come up with new dishes that are true to the traditions of the Cholmondeley Arms…warming, flavoursome, traditional yet innovative. We look forward to you visiting to try them!
Yes we have completed a year of being open as the ‘new’ Cholmondeley Arms. September being the month we opened last year 2011. We set our stall out then to be the best pub in Cheshire for the enjoyment of a Gin and Tonic (amongst many other things of course!!) and in turn create a legend.
Little did we know 18 months ago when Tim first visited the ‘Chum’ and decided Gins were definitely the thing to do here, that gin would have become so popular with micro/craft distillers popping up everywhere.
Trips to different parts of the UK and Europe have helped teach us so much about this famous and slightly infamous spirit. The glass, the fruit, the botanicals, the ice, the tonics and of course the gins themselves have all been explored.
We run an annual amateur Fruit Gin making competition, we have guest speakers such as James Chase from the Chase Distillery talking through Gin. We have tasting sessions for those guests that want to learn just a little bit more about Gin and its history. We operate ‘Bring Gin to the Inn’ where customers themselves can search out Gins on our behalf and be rewarded for doing so.
Our aim was to start with the ‘Cholmondeley Top Forty Gins’ in our house ‘Gin Bible’ and add to our collection through our pro-active Gin suppliers, our enthusiastic team and of course our customers who have all brought ‘Gin to the Inn’ over the last year from as far afield as the States and the Far East.
We have built our collection now to 115 different gins. We are the biggest purveyor of Gin in Cheshire, in fact the north of England and in our second year we aim to make the Gin Bible more informative, have Gin Quarterlies that focus the guest on new craft gins as well as some classics changing the list four times a year, add value to our ‘Gin Tasting Classes’ and of course build our collection and our knowledge. So come and help us…enjoy a classic Gin and tonic with us. Thank you to ALL our customers who have supported us in our first year!!!! We are so grateful for your business.
Mmm… Someone was looking rather sheepish when this photo was taken of local sheep enjoying the Cholmondeley Arms garden!!!
We reckon they have popped up from the Ewe Tree pub down the road. You can’t pull the wool over our eyes!!!
They soon moved on to pastures new when they smelt the mint sauce being prepared for Sunday Roast!!!
Mutton dressed as lamb….certainly not!!!
As everyone is aware the Cholmondeley Arms is a former village school. To celebrate this fact we have a special book behind the ‘Chum’ bar, kindly donated by Carole the Proprietor of The Cheese Shop in Chester.
The book is for ‘former pupils’ of the school to sign as and when they visit the Cholmondeley Arms. Our famous Breakfast cook Shirley also attended the school. So if you are a ‘Cholmondeley school ‘Old Boy or Girl’ come in and sign the book.
As we build up names we can then arrange an annual event to celebrate the School and its former pupils in what is the 150th anniversary of the building in 2012!!!
Our landlord Steve has introduced some rather posh cigars here at the ‘Chum’ and of course with life being outside for smokers these days the old school ‘bike shed’ has been given a makeover and looks a bit more like a ‘potting shed’ now.
However in this poor summer weather the new ‘bike shed’ offers outdoor shelter with a bit of homely English charm for those wishing to eat al fresco or indeed have a puff on a cigar!!
So you naughty school boys who want to puff please report to the ‘bike shed’!!!
Example of Christians specials board
As you know we are very proud here at the Cholmondeley Arms to have the finest local ingredients available to us for our seasonal menu and specials board (an example of which can be seen here).
In August, from 16th to 23rd inclusive we will be celebrating, via our specials board, great dishes that recognise the local Cheshire produce available to our Head Chef Christian and his team.
Literally a short journey to Richards farm for fresh vegetables is a trip taken regularly by Christian and the taste of those Cheshire potatoes couldn’t be better!!!
So make a note of the dates for the diary and come and enjoy the very best of Cheshire here at the Chum!!
Cheshire Farmer Richard works very hard to ensure the very best local produce is available to Christian our chef who goes and picks his own
The taste of our vegetables is of prime importance
Wild Scottish Sea trout with Samphire and Cheshire potato salad and cucumber ketchup
Here at the Cholmondeley Arms as we celebrated the Queens Jubilee we also launched our summer drinks selection!
Featuring refreshing coolers such as jugs of gin with rose lemonade, Cholmondelinis featuring prosecco with four different liqueurs, creme de cassis, elderflower liqueur, lychee liqueur, or Chambourd raspberry liquor.
Pastis with rose lemonade also features as well as a traditional Bloody Mary made with Manzanilla Sherry and of course the great summer favourite a jug of Pimms No.1 for only £8.95!!!
So when the sun shines come and enjoy our garden and outdoor terrace with one of our refreshing summer drinks.