It is always a busy time here at the Bulls Head, so please do look through the archives to see what has happened month by month since we acquired the Bulls Head back in November 2009

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White Bull arrives for Spring!!

whitebull2As the daffodils flower and Easter gets ever closer, landlord Barry knows the ‘Hot Toddy’s’ and the Winter Pimms can rest and demand will grow for a cool pint of ale. Barry has been working tirelessly with Giles the Master Brewer at the Wincle Beer Company to produce our new summer ale aptly named ‘White Bull’. This will be a blonde to gold 4.0% abv ale served slightly more chilled than the rest of our six pumps for a refreshing finish.

Our winter ale ‘T’ale of the Dark Bull’ will take a breather for the spring and summer leaving room for our new beer which is being touted with the words “THIS ALE IS AS
EXHILARATING AS BEING CHASED THROUGH A FARMER’S FIELD WEARING A RED SHIRT!!’

This is not a reference to any local football teams!! White Bull will be launched to celebrate the end of ‘Pie Week 2014’ so before Easter. So come down and enjoy a pint or two.

Ode to Robbie!!

burnsnightHere at the Bulls Head we have built a tradition for celebrating Robbie Burns night in real style!! This all started back when we opened nearly four years ago because our, now famous, collection of great whiskies!! (now up to 88 different styles!!)

This year was no exception when our famous local Scotsman Iain popped down (kilt included) to the Bulls Head with Robbie’s ‘Ode to a Haggis’ poem under his arm. Iain handed out copies of the poem with an English translation so our customers could follow his narration of the poem themselves!! The Haggis was paraded around the pub by head chef Steve as owner Tim piped the music (through the piped music!!) and as the haggis ‘landed’ at the bar it was ‘stabbed to death’ by Iain to the words of the poem!!

The previous day owner Tim had met Faye from the Isle of Arran Whisky distillery in the Bulls Head. She brought with her two bottles of Arrans own Robbie Burns Malt. Which we shared with whisky enthusiasts on the night.

robbiebWe still have a little left!! So do pop in and have a wee dram while the chill is in the air! A warm fire awaits!!

Big thanks to Iain and those Scotsmen that attended in their kilts!! Thanks to Steve for donning his Ginger wig and cooking all those Haggis!!

A fun Christmas everywhere!!

What a great time over Christmas our teams have had. It is tiring work but there are plenty of smiles and fun around the place!! The Bulls Head in Mobberley held its annual Christmas Jumper competition and the judges moved around the pub secretly assessing the best. Pete had won it last year with his ‘snow man number’ so was a favourite again this year.

There were a number of good efforts but I am pleased to say Pete held on to his crown with an ‘elf jumper’ with matching hat!! Well done Pete! There must be someone out there who can out do Pete in 2014??!

The teams as you can see had a good go with our personal favourite being Tom at the Church Inn with his Christmas pudding version!! Thanks to all our teams for making the effort. At the Cholmondeley Arms the ‘Snow Ball’ Drink was re-incarnated by the team and you can see Miya sampling some for the camera behind the Cholmondeley Bar!!!

Thank you to all our customers who have added to the atmosphere at all our pubs. There have been Christmas Carol singers at Cholmondeley and Brass bands at The three Greyhounds Inn at Allostock and The Church Inn in Mobberley as we managed to squeeze them in our newly decorated Church Inn ‘boot room’.

On Christmas eve as the Carol service finished at St. Wilfs church opposite the Church Inn in Mobberley we were on hand to serve the masses (get it!!) with mulled wine on the terrace with warm chimineas  burning away. There were festive nibbles and roasted chestnuts and a lot of good cheer! A very happy Christmas to all!!

Thanks to all our teams for working so hard!!

Humphrey relatives visit the Bulls Head!!

humphAs many of you will know the Humphrey brothers who founded UMBRO the sportswear manufacturer did so here at the Bulls Head in the mid-1920’s.

The two people pictured with Ben are Lisa and Charles Humphreys, who flew out from South Carolina on something of a pilgrimage. You have probably guessed already, but just in case you haven’t, Charles (pictured) is the grandson of Harold Charles Humphrey, and was one of the last members of the Humphrey family to have any involvement at Umbro.

Charles and his wife are now in real estate and Umbro, having been sold by Nike, is now in the hands of American investors.

Charles’ mother lives in Alderley Edge so he has been visiting her and he also visited Shrewsbury where he went to school. We are sure that the highlight of his visit was having his picture taken with Ben at The Bull’s Head, his family’s companies birthplace!!!!

Weird but true…Ben has a habit of meeting ancestors of famous people at the Bulls Head …..Robbie Burns the famous Scottish poet was the great, great uncle of our visitor last Burns night…and Ben had his picture taken with her too. Any guests to the Bulls Head with famous ancestors see Ben!!

T’Ale of the Dark Bull is born!!

Barry and the team here at the Bulls Head really pushed the boat out for the new Bulls Head dark ale competition! The ‘taste off’ was narrowed down to three dark ales from three Cheshire Micro-Breweries namely Wincle Brewery, Dunham Massey Brewery and Coach House Brewery all of whom sent in dark ales for the competition. The badges, as you can see from the picture here, were marked up A,B and C and through Friday and Saturday our local ale enthusiasts and regulars chose their favourite. By 8pm on the Saturday evening the first dark ale was sold out and rightly declared the winner. The 4.3% Dark brown ale from Wincle Brewery was voted the clear winner and for the Autumn and winter becomes our new ‘T’Ale of the Dark Bull’. The competition coincided with Halloween and pumpkins lined the path of the Bulls Head as spooks, Ghouls and spectres visited for a few treats!! The Dark Ale will on this week so come in and try a pint or two!!

 

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Winter Drinks are here!

LUKE OUR WINTER DRINKS CHAMPION

LUKE OUR WINTER DRINKS CHAMPION

Winter is here and so are the winter drinks for enjoying by the fire!!

We have just launched our winter drinks from Barry’s Mulled Cider to Luke’s Luxury Hot Toddy and Ardbeg Malt Coffee.

For every luxury hot toddy sold we will donate 20p to the Bees for Development Charity assisting beekeepers living in poor and remote areas of the world – lifting them out of poverty through beekeeping.

Bees are essential to our lives and we feel it vital to encourage beekeeping everywhere. The honey for our Hot Toddy comes from Alderley Edge beekeepers and honey makers Mike and Ruth.

As for the Ardbeg Malt coffee we serve this with a sprinkle of Bollington Chocolate and a couple of chunks of the chocolate too. Whisky and chocolate go really well together and with the warmth of the coffee you will be in heaven!!

Our other popular hot drinks like The Woolly Bully and Winter Pimms are also on the list. So pop in and get warm by the fire.

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Our Autumn and early winter menu is here!!

firesideHere at the Bulls Head our Head Chef Steve and Sous Chef Andy and their kitchen team have developed a lovely menu for you all to enjoy with two or three dishes that can be enjoyed as a starter or main course such as ………

  • Roasted Pumpkin seasoned with sage on a winter leaf salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, fig and Burt’s Blue Cheese or …
  • Steve’s “Rarebit Smokey” with naturally smoked haddock topped with Lancashire cheese and ‘blonde’ ale rarebit finished with warm cherry tomatoes and fresh basil or……

Other new starters include…….

  • Hand pressed Duck Terrine with toasted nutty bread and ‘Gamekeepers’ Spicy Orange Chutney
  • Open Tart of Pan-Fried Pigeon Breast, Clonakilty Black Pudding and Mushrooms with a redcurrant and orange sauce
  • Kipper Fish Cake with crispy bacon, a fried hens egg and HP sauce

There are heart- warming main courses which include ………

  • Steve’s Slow Cooked Game Stew with herb dumplings and creamy mashed potatoes
  • Slow Roasted Duck Leg with spring onion mash, red cabbage and a Port wine gravy
  • Cheshire Pork Belly, with apple mash, winter root vegetables, scrumpy gravy and a spiced apple sauce
  • Slow Braised Shoulder of Lamb with a redcurrant and rosemary gravy, creamy mashed potato and red cabbage

For seafood fans we have caught …..

  • Grilled Sea Trout with lemon and peppercorn butter on sautéed new potatoes with green beans
  • Seafood Crockpot of by-catch fish, prawns and salmon in a warm creamy dill and white wine sauce served with Green Beans and nutty bread

For Vegetarians we have a…

  • Delamere Goats Cheese Hash with a spiced apple sauce and winter salad as well as a daily special

There are dishes for everyone. To view the full menus click here.

We look forward to cooking for you…..

Sawdays Award for Bulls Head

PUB_10_Edition_CoverTo all our loyal customers and our hardworking teams this is dedicated to you!! Thank you for supporting the Bulls Head in Mobberley!!!

The Bull’s Head in Mobberley, Cheshire wins award in Alastair Sawday’s guide; Pubs & Inns of England & Wales 10th edition

The Bull’s Head in Mobberley has been honoured for its authenticity with an Alastair Sawday’s pub award. The latest edition of Sawday’s much loved ‘Special Places Pubs and Inns of England & Wales’ comprises over 950 of Britain’s very best pubs with just twelve selected to receive an award in one of four categories; authenticity, commitment to the community, local, seasonal & organic produce or pubs with rooms.

The winner of the ‘Authentic pub award’ has demonstrated a passion for being an authentic, simple and unadulterated pub. The Sawday inspectors have visited more pubs than ever for this celebratory 10th edition, making each award even more of an achievement.

David Hancock, editor of Sawday’s Pubs & Inns of England & Wales says “At the Bull’s Head, you feel good from the moment you walk in. There’s a big “Hello” from behind the bar, a simple rustic chic feel and atmosphere, and the whole place feels snug, intimate and calm, plus the food and drink offer is very strong. With over 950 pubs in the guide, winning is a terrific achievement for the hardworking landlords, landladies, chefs and staff!”

Alastair, Founder of Alastair Sawday’s says “Please join our 10th anniversary celebrations by raising a glass to The Bull’s Head at Mobberley for this very real achievement. In this, our biggest ever edition, award winning pubs have had to stand out more than ever before. So each has demonstrated remarkable creativity – plus excellence and willingness to evolve – in a changing and challenging industry.”

This is what it says for The Bull’s Head at Mobberley’s entry in the guide:

You feel warmth as soon as you walk through the door. Candles glow on the tables of this pretty village pub, fires crackle, and the staff couldn’t be nicer. Under a low-beamed ceiling, six hand pumps dispense the finest local ales from Storm, Wincle and Redwillow as well as the inimitable Mobberley Wobbly – ale is king! Add in a Highland extravaganza of 70 malts and other tempting brews and you have the makings of a celebration. Chef Lloyd cooks ‘pub classics from the heart’ with full English flavours; the steak and ale pie is a fully encased masterpiece in itself, and the Irish whisky sticky toffee pudding too indulgent for words. With outside tables for sunny days, this is as good as it gets for a village pub.

 

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New Summer menu arrives

PIC-10The Bulls Head summer menu will begin on Saturday 15th June and features such starters as Yorkshire Chorizo and Scallion Hash with a poached hens egg or a Red Onion, Shallot and beetroot tart with Kidderton Ash Goats Cheese then there is a Smoked Haddock and Spinach ‘Omelette’ with dressed leaves.

Main courses include Slow cooked ‘Pot Roast’ Chicken Stew with New Potatoes, Cherry tomatoes and summer Greens or Pan-Roasted Cheshire Lamb Rump finished with fresh beetroot, new potatoes, tomatoes and sugar snaps with a redcurrant gravy and there is a Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Braised Braeburn, Clonakilty black pudding with a cider and sage gravy or Sweet Honey Cured Gammon Chop with creamy mashed potato, Parsley Cream sauce and summer greens. For the fish lover we have Pan Roasted Fillet of Hake wrapped in English Air dried ham with a haricot bean and tomato stew and for the lighter appetite a Yorkshire Rydale Cheese, toasted walnut and warm fig
Salad.

Puddings are light and summery too with a Lemon Tart served with Lime Crème Fraiche or Summer Pudding with mixed berries and clotted cream or the naughty Irish Whisky Chocolate Tart with Chantilly Cream

As for Cheese look out for…………

BULL’S HEAD SEASONAL CHEESE BOARD
Mike, Steve and Lloyd select our cheeses from only British cheese farms recommended by our Cheese ‘Champion’ Carole from the famous Chester Cheese Shop, All served with chutneys and biscuits, celery and grapes. We recommend either a 12 Year Old Redbreast Irish whiskey or a Pedro Ximenez chilled, sweet Sherry with your cheese board both match wonderfully.

Click here to view main menu

Click here to view Sunday menu