There's a village a stone's throw away from Manchester Airport that's hailed 'one of the greatest in the UK'. Nestled in the Cheshire countryside between Knutsford and Wilmslow, Mobberley is a chocolate box village with gorgeous surroundings.
But it's not just the quaint feel that gives Mobberley its reputation. Each weekend the village becomes a hive of activity, attracting people from further afield, Cheshire Live reports.
Mobberley is home to four stand-out pubs - some boasting prestigious awards, and all enjoying rave reviews from visitors. It's remarkable for a village with just around 5,000 residents, including some famous faces.
One of the most notable factors when driving into the village are the fingerpost signs directing you one thriving pub after the next. The Church Inn, The Roebuck Inn, The Railway Inn and The Bull’s Head between them have too many awards, good reviews or noteworthy mentions to count.
The rural streets, at a glance, are relatively quiet even on a sunny day, until you turn into Mill Lane, which houses the Bull’s Head and Roebuck Inn, where the streets are lined with vehicles. Here, punters can be seen enjoying a quiet pint, a meal or a cup of tea in one of the two pubs’ idyllic beer gardens.
From the grounds you can take numerous walks around the walk, over to The Church Inn and across the fields which stretch out as far as the eye can see. But how did the establishments become so popular and what have they done for Mobberley?
Tim Bird is owner of Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars, which manages The Church Inn, The Bull’s Head and The Roebuck Inn, three of the four top pubs in the area. “They are all individual institutions that guests love for different reasons and many people have a favourite that they visit often,” he said.
“We are exceptionally proud of our teams who run the three pubs in Mobberley, as we are of the teams at our other four award winning pubs (we have seven in total) and the teams are the ones that deserve all the credit. They work amazingly hard and we wouldn’t be where we are without them. They are true heroes.
“Mobberley is the second biggest geographic parish in the UK. It is one of the greatest villages in the UK. There is a great community spirit, two very strong village Churches and we are all very proud to be part of it.
"I hope the pubs’ successes have played a part in helping Mobberley grow as a community over the years. The judges of that will always be the very community we serve and look after.”
The village’s pub offering started to transform more than a decade ago in 2009, when Tim and his wife Mary took over the Bull’s Head. At the time, the establishment was ‘very tired looking’ and closed most days with, according to Tim, no real custom base.
So the pair set about saving it, pumping in their own money to turn it into the cosy, dog-friendly hub that it is today. Tim, who reopened the pub in May 2010 alongside his wife, added: “It hasn’t really changed at all in 12 years. It is a true institution!
“The quintessential English village pub in the wonderful leafy village of Mobberley. Freshly cooked locally sourced dishes, with a brilliant kitchen team led by Andy, (who has been with us 11 years), great cask ales and a fine collection of whiskies were the order of the day and still are. Stephanie who runs the Bull’s Head has been with us for many a year too. So, consistency is key!”
Over the road and within spitting distance, is the Roebuck Inn, which was left to fall into rack and ruin before the Birds set their sights on it 11 years ago. Back in 2011, the pub closed down and was left ‘a shell’ for four years.
But the Birds had a plan to breathe life back into the establishment and bought it three years later, applying for planning permission to turn it into a hotel and bar. After adding six bedrooms and a bistro, the Roebuck finally opened in May 2016 and hasn’t been short of accolades.
Just earlier this year it was lauded as the best gastropub in the country and among the best in the UK, appearing on a list compiled by Estrella Damm. However it isn’t just the pub’s awards which make it stand out as a community stalwart.
When the country was plunged into the first of several lockdowns in March 2020, staff stepped up to keep the engines whirring and provide valuable services for the residents on its doorstep. The Roebuck remained open throughout all three lockdowns, acting as a food and drink store, a plant shop, bakery, wine shop and a hamper store.
“We did as much as we could to help the residents of Mobberley and beyond, during the tough times and the Roebuck Inn has a little ‘Hub Shop’ to this day,” added Tim. Just down the road the Railway Inn, owned by Lynda and Tony Davies, has been thriving for years, only gaining increasing popularity since normality has resumed.
The quaint village watering hole was this year named CAMRA’s spring pub of the season, and is often frequented by plane spotters due to its proximity to the runway at Manchester Airport. But the visuals are all that the pub has to offer, with customers traveling far and wide to sample the no nonsense pub grub.
Speaking to CheshireLive previously, Lynda said: “There aren't many pubs that actually accommodate families. We're quite lucky that when the weather's nice, people can sit outside we get some of the visitors because we've got about 20 tables outside, and we've got a very big play area for the kids. So we tend to target families as our main business.”
The Davies family own The Railway as a Freehouse and the pub has been run in their safe hands for the past 25 years. The pub has been in the family since 1937, when Tony’s great aunt became the licensee.
But none has seen a turnaround quite like the The Church Inn, named in the Michelin Guide, awarded a plate and showered with accolades - the most recent being named winner of the Pub and Bar Magazine’s best pub in Cheshire for 2022/23. A decade ago, The Church Inn’s future was left hanging in the balance after it closed in 2012, going on the market to be snatched up by developers.
However, once again Tim and Mary swooped in to rescue it from becoming housing, opting to open a ‘country tavern’. “With a lovely terrace and a sun trapped terrace and garden at the rear too, it was too pretty a pub to let go,” Tim added. “We created an old inn which would cook with intensity and flair, with a fine wine and port collection and an ambience that hugged you on the way in and grabbed your leg on the way out (like all our pubs to be honest!)”
Although Mobberley’s popularity cannot be put down to one key secret ingredient, it seems that the foundations of its success lie within these pubs, run by families who have spent years turning them into the heart of the community. Without families like the Birds and the Davies, it is difficult to say whether Mobberley would be the jewel in the crown of the Cheshire countryside or if it would still be gem waiting to be uncovered.
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