The Bhurtpore Inn

A pub since at least 1778, when it was called the Queen's Head. It subsequently became the Red Lion, but it was Lord Combermere's success at the Siege of Bhurtpore in India in 1826 that inspired the name that has stuck. Simon and Nicky George came across it in 1991, boarded-up and stripped-out. Simon is a direct descendant of Joyce George, who leased the pub from the Combermere estate in 1849, so was motivated by his family history to take on the hard work of restoring the interior; the pub reopened in early 1992. Since then, 'award winning' hardly does justice to the accolades heaped upon this hostelry. In the bar, eleven ever-changing real ales are always available, mostly from local micro-breweries, as are real ciders, continental draught lagers and around 150 of the world's bottled beers. An annual beer festival, reputedly Cheshire's largest, is in its sixteenth year, with around 130 real ales to be sampled. Beers are only part of the story; the pub has been short-listed five times for the 'National Whisky Pub of the Year' award, and the soft drinks menu is as long as your arm. Recognition extends to the kitchen too, where unfussy dishes of classic pub fare are acceptable to both the palate and the wallet. Among the hearty British ingredients you'll find seasonal game, such as venison haunch on cabbage with smoked bacon and cream; and rabbit loin with a pork and black pudding stuffing. As you might expect, curries and balti dishes are always to be found on the blackboard; these usually comprise at least six options, based on beef, mutton and goat, as well as vegetables and quorn. Vintage vehicles bring their owners here on the first Thursday of the month, and folk musicians play on the third Tuesday.