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.
Yes it has happened………… the Cholmondeley Arms is the biggest purveyor of Gin in Cheshire and probably the north of England!! 106 Gins now grace the shelves of our fabulous back bar!! Having just got back from Mallorca with a bottle of the Menorcan, Port Mahon Gin and a Larios Dry Gin from Spain it was to my great surprise that I found that we had, had a further ten gins brought to the Inn by various ‘shy’ locals!!
While in Mallorca I found the growth in passion for all things Gin to be phenomenal. As you can see in the picture two bartenders worked on mixing gins with flair for us on a balmy evening by the ocean (yes we brought the weather back) and the final presentation in the glass was excellent. Great lessons learnt for how we can develop further the gin service here at ‘the Chum’.
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves we have only been open as the new Cholmondeley Arms eight months and we have come a long way with gin…………………… Fruit Gin making Championships, Gin tasting evenings, Talks on Gin from various Gin distillers such as James Chase, the ‘Bring Gin to the Inn’ concept, and shortly the ‘Complete Gin List’ which we
are working on as I write this.
If you are interested in gin email us regarding Gin tasting Evenings. We look forward to hearing from you!!
Local regulars and Gin enthusiasts have brought ‘Gin to the Inn’. Chris & Dawn have been on holiday to the USA, and have brought back 3 gins for us that we previously didn’t have.
Number 92 on the Gin shelf is a gin called American Pride we are trying to get more information on this gin but it is proving difficul!! Nevertheless Stru’ and Steve say it is a really good traditional juniper gin and I believe them!!! At number 93 on the shelf is Fleischmann’s (America’s 1st Gin according to the Bottle). A light smooth gin. Fleischmann’s was the first American-made gin, starting in 1870. Fleischmann’s has a lighter gin taste, making it more mixable.
At number 94 on the list is Nicholas Gin and this one is amazing, the yanks seem to be doing something right…. Nicholas Gin Description is of standard proof, is distilled in USA and is a modern gin. This untraditional gin contains flavours from lavender, rose hips, and hibiscus. It is distilled by Fat Dog Spirits.
So remember we are always looking for gins and a massive thanks to Chris and Dawn (below) who add themselves to the ‘Bring Gin to the Inn Club’
We have many customers who like gin, who also like to travel and may find gins we don’t stock on those travels…. so…….we came up with ‘Bring Inn the Gin’ and here’s what you have to do.
It was confirmed today by Chris Evans on his BBC 2 Breakfast show that his ‘Car-Fest’ event for ‘Children in Need’ is coming to Cholmondeley Castle on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of September 2012.
Chris has already launched a ‘sell out’ ‘Car-Fest’ in the south of England and needed a venue for the northern version. For details of the event go to www.carfest.org where they will be appearing shortly. The event features cars galore, live music and lots more.
Please click here for all events for this year at Cholmondeley Castle.
Yes it is true while cleaning the bar shelves holding our whisky collection, Steve our landlord studied the label of the Bunnahabhain which was believed to be a 12 year old priced at £3.60 a shot. On closer examination the label declared “Family Silver 1968” .
Believing this to be a brand name Steve decided to ‘Google’ the said whisky and discovered that it cost in the region of £350 a bottle or £700.00 a bottle at retail value!!!!! Yep and we have been selling it at £3.60 a shot!!!
The bottle has been returned to the shelf and if you want a wee dram it will cost you £25 a shot from today. To those whisky lovers that have enjoyed a few shots at our expense then good luck to you!! Amazing what you find on the shelves of the bar!!
Need to clean more often Steve!!
Bunnahabhain (Scottish Gaelic: Bun na h-Abhainn) is a village on the northeast coast of the isle of Islay, which is in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. It is also the name of a Scotch whisky distillery located there. The village was established in 1881 to house the distillery’s workers, and the distillery still employs the majority of the village’s workers.
The surrounding area is also steeped in local history. The ruined village of Margadale, nestled between Margadale Hill and Scarbh Bhreac, was once the busiest marketplace on Islay, with people coming from all over the island for cattle sales.
The name of the village comes from the Scottish Gaelic name Bun na h-Abhainn, meaning Foot of the River.
The distillery in the village produces The Bunnahabhain (Boon-a-havn) which is one of the milder Islay whiskies available and its taste varies greatly from other spirits to be found on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. The distillery was built in 1881 and sits below the northeast tip of the island just north of Port Askaig. It overlooks a narrow belt of water (the Sound of Islay) with a view of the neighbouring island of Jura (which also has a working distillery) and its famous hills, the “Paps of Jura”.
