At last we have the famous photo of our very local regular Pete in his rather fetching Christmas Jumper!!!

Pete beat off stiff competition from a number of guests and Bulls Head team members to win first prize at the pub on Christmas day!!

So Pete our very own electrician lit up the pub with this snazzy number!!!

He is reigning now Christmas Jumper Champion 2012/3. Pete wins a rather nice bottle of red wine and a trophy will be working its way to him too.

To the proactive customers who fancy a go this year you have ’til Christmas Day 2013 to get your winning jumper!!!

BEN WITH THE TARTAN SCARF AND ROBBIE BURNS GREAT, GREAT NIECE!!!

Our own Ben Redwood, proud landlord and Robbie Burns’ fan ensured the ‘To a Haggis’ poem by Robbie himself was on the black board ready for our traditional ‘Burns Night’ celebrations.

Alongside ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ and ‘To a Mouse’, ‘To a Haggis’ is one of Robbie Burns most famous and regularly performed poems. Written in 1786 not long after Burns arrived in Edinburgh, this poem has become the centrepiece of Burns’ Suppers.

In Burns day haggis was not an everyday meal, and it could be described as a luxury item. As this was the case it is not beyond possibility that Robbie Burns’ ‘Address’ was ironic in its praise for the dish, and was pointing the finger at those who would revere it.

Anyway a bit of history there!!

As Ben ‘sold in’ the Haggis special, made wonderfully by Lloyd our chef, along with one or two other Scottish dishes and of course whiskies…………. one lady guest declared to Ben…

“Oh, I should have known it was Robbie Burns’ night, I am a distant relative!”

‘Well’, said Ben, ‘here is a photo opportunity if ever I saw one!’

So in the middle of Robbie Burns’ night at the Bulls Head, Ben and one of Robbie Burns distant relatives (on her grandmothers side) toasted a whisky, and recited the ‘address to a Haggis’, written, by none other, than her great, great uncle!!!

And what did Robbie Burns’ great, great niece order, to celebrate Burns night??! …. none other than a very English Fish and Bloomin’ Chips!!!!!!!!!!

Talk about letting the side down!

Sadly there were no kilts for the kilt competition as the snow was thick on the ground and we
Reckon the fellas were frightened of the effects of the cold!!

Let’s hope next year it is a little milder. Thank you to everyone who supported the evening and enjoyed the Haggis and a wee dram!!

AT CHOLMONDELEY

Loyal customer and very keen cyclist Jonathon is the first of our cycling customers to complete the ‘Cheshire Cat Pub to Pub to Pub (Trio) Challenge’.

Setting out from near Knutsford in pretty cold and snowy conditions Jonathon headed first to our Cholmondeley Arms Pub out near Malpas on the A49 heading to Whitchurch!! The picture shows just how snowy Cholmondeley was compared to the rest of the county. Having taken on a warm hot chocolate for energy, Jonathon then headed to our next pub the Three Greyhounds Inn at Allostock. Conditions here were much better for a cycling enthusiast. After another picture outside this pub it was on for the final leg of the journey to a rather misty Bulls Head before heading home for a hot shower and an early night. Just over 70 miles later without any performance enhancing drugs or a Steak and Ale Pie even!!! The respective pub teams gave Jonathon a warm welcome as well as helping with photo taking and ensuring he was back on his bike for the next leg of this journey!!

Jonathon commented “I was at a loss as to where to go on my Sunday ride today. So thought I would tackle that well known ride ‘The Cheshire Cat Trio’!! Cholmondley is a little further down the A49 than I thought and there was also more snow than I anticipated when I got there but I am thrilled to be the first of many to hopefully tackle the challenge!!”

Well done Jonathon a great effort and there is a Pie waiting at a pub of your choice from the trio as and when you have recovered!!!

If you are a keen cyclist and want to be listed as a ‘Cheshire Cat Trio Cycling Challenge beater’ then set out and ensure your photo is taken with your trusty bike at each pub with the signs in the background of each picture and send them to info@cheshirecatpubsandbars.co.uk. You will get your photo in our ‘hall of fame’ and we will send you a ‘refreshment voucher’ as well as a pint on us at the final pub!!

Thanks again to Jonathon for taking on the challenge and beating it!!!

AT THE BULLS HEAD

AT THE THREE GREYHOUNDS

Yes it is true Ben and the team welcomed Izzy the terrier to the Bulls head and this little dog picked up the honour of being the 5000th pet dog to use the Bulls Head in over two and a half years since we acquired and restored the pub.

Izzy’s owners Gareth and Helen received the fun pack of doggie treats which were presented to Izzy by the Bulls Head team!!

Remember you can bring your well behaved dog in to our ‘Whisky Snug’ and have an enjoyable drink and meal by the fire!!

Here’s to the next 5000!!!

Well Happy New Year!!! Even Santa and Rudolf were entertained over the festive season here at the Bulls Head as the picture shows!!

On behalf of landlord Ben, Our Deputies James, Shane and Philippa, Head Chef Lloyd and the entire team at the Bully plus of course Tim and Mary we wish everyone of our customers a very happy and prosperous new year. We also wish to thank everyone for supporting the Bulls Head through its third festive season since its restoration and indeed supporting us for the whole year!!!

Here’s to 2013!!! Let’s hope it is drier!!!

What a great week it was last week both at the Bulls Head celebrating 200 years as a pub in 2012 and amazingly the Cholmondeley Arms celebrated 150 years as a building, the old school house opening in 1862!! Cakes were baked, celebrations were had, Lord and Professor Ted did his birthday quizzes with great curry evenings on the nights too, Cholmondeley had its 2nd Annual Gin making competition and the Bulls Head had a jazz evening with the ‘smoooth’ old boys Laurie and Stewart. We are still waiting for the 5000th dog to stroll in to the Bulls Head to finish off the celebrations!!! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on the week when all our Christmas specials ‘went live’ too. Thank you to all our customers who turned up in support and joined in the festivities!! It might become an annual event!!

Yes they are back!!

Our now famous Woolly Bully featured in Cheshire’s ‘In/Out’ Magazine as well as the usual suspects such as Lloyds Mulled Wine.

This year James our deputy has come up with a Mulled Cider special which is excellent!!

New this year is the Warm Butterscotch Apple Nog certainly worth a try!!

So if you are doing our pub walk and want to pop to warm the cockles then we will be waiting at the ready!!

It isn’t often you get chance to put on your dinner jacket for a night out especially with members of the Bulls Head team (as we are normally all working) and it certainly isn’t often the occasion turns out to be the Cheshire Life Magazine ‘Dining Pub of the Year award 2012′. We had a great time, we saw the little Bulls Head up in lights and while we posed for photos, the team back at the Bulls Head quickly posed for their own photo to rival ours as they waited with our customers for the result!!!

We are very proud of the nomination……. after all the Bulls Head has only been open two years and to have got this recognition at this early stage is beyond our wildest dreams. The team deserve it, they have worked hard and deserve all the recognition in the world, so this nomination was for them….. for our wonderful chefs, the sweat and toil of our resilient kitchen porters, our hardworking bar team and our bright eyed floor team as well as our management team…big, big, thanks to all. To our customers what can we say…………your support of the Bulls Head since we opened has been relentless and we greatly appreciate it.

Congratulations to the winners and to our fellow runners up. You can read about it all in the December issue of Cheshire Life if you want but in the meantime heres to Christmas and a great 2013!!!

BACK AT THE BULLS HEAD!!

DON’T WE LOOK SMART!!

What Cheshire Life said…

Bull’s Head, Mobberley – Dispensing hospitality since 1812, this classic village pub re-opened in 2010 after major refurbishment which, cleverly, you’d never know has happened, such is the traditional, nostalgic atmosphere beneath its low beamed ceilings. There’s an excellent range of Cheshire cask ales from micro-breweries within a 30 mile radius of the pub, over 70 whiskies, and a hearty, no-nonsense home-cooked flavorsome menu.

TOUGH MUDDER T-SHIRT!!.

They may look like part of the 118-118 team but Lloyd (head chef from the Bulls Head) and Andy our great occasional kitchen team player successfully completed the ‘Tough Mudder’ challenge!!

LLOYD AND ANDY FROM THE BULLS HEAD COMPLETE THE COURSE

Cholmondeley Castle hosted the event with the ‘Tough mudder’ organisers.

This was a half marathon with SAS like obstacles from electric shock treatments to wading/swimming through frozen lakes and ice filled containers that would take your breath away. Tough mudder teams including Andy and Lloyd came back to the Cholmondeley Arms after their heroic achievements.

I think Lloyd will appreciate the warmth of his kitchen more than ever having seen how cold they were on arriving at Cholmondeley.

Anyway a couple of ‘Pub Club’ Sandwiches and warm coffee with a bowl of hot chips improved them slightly.

A guest room was set aside in our Headmasters house for hot showers and changing facilities for friends and team-members to use to get them back to normal as quickly as possible.

Well done Lloyd and Andy who might ache a bit but they did it!!!

TOUGH MUDDER TEAM

As winter approaches Ben our landlord and the team have given great thought to drinks for winter. We are asking you to pop down and get board!!! Ben has launched his new whisky boards giving a variety of taste for two to share as a winter warmer by the fire!!

Different regions of Scotland have been carefully chosen as well as Ireland, the U.S and an international board too. It is a great way to sample whiskies and understand the differences in aroma and taste. A true winter warmer!!

During Cask Ale Week we launched our C.A.T.S (Cask Ale Tasters Society) boards where three beers can be sampled in third of a pint glasses. This is another great way to sample the varieties on offer.

We are today launching our famous winter drinks including our very own ‘Woolly Bully’ which has become famous over the last three winters since we opened. It has even been featured in IN/OUT Magazine this Autumn!!

You can read about our winter drinks from the board outside the pub!!

So three great reasons to get board this winter!!!

The fires are lit so what are you waiting for?

THE UNITED COLOURS OF CASK