Joule’s Brewery is to re-open the Lower Chequer Inn, Sandbach, next Thursday (August 7).

The Market Drayton-based brewery purchased the pub at the end of last year and since then the premises has undergone sympathetic restoration and refurbishment to create a Joule’s pub with a twist, supporting a slightly retro feel, with more emphasis placed on new age and sophistication.

jouleslogoThe Lower Chequer sits to the north-east of the famous town’s Crosses at the head of the Market Square and is thought to be the oldest building in Sandbach. It will be the first in a series of Joule’s Craft Beer Bars.

Over the last 12 months much research has been carried out by Joule’s to support and drive the successful launch of Green Monkey, their latest creation. Launched in May, Green Monkey is a brewery-fresh chilled lager, carefully crafted, with no artificial additives or preservatives. Unlike main brand lagers, Green Monkey is properly ‘laagered’: fermentation is twice as long, delivering an unmistakable smoothness and resulting in a naturally sparkling, delicate beer.

Trudie Meredith, marketing controller for Joule’s, said: “The Lower Chequer is a very exciting project for us. The concept is very new and fresh for Joule’s, but the focus remains the same: unmistakeably high-quality sophisticated crafted beer in good quality surroundings. The beer offering will represent all types, styles and origins in both bottle and draught. We plan to offer over 30 crafted beers from the core range — Joule’s Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk and Blonde — through to crafted and bottled ciders.”

Dean Carter, manager of the Lower Chequer, added: “I am thrilled to be part of this new concept and venture with the support of Joule’s Brewery. They have some great ideas and it’s good to have the reassurance that a strong company like Joule’s is supporting this great historic pub. I am very excited at the opportunity of becoming a vital part of the community, a pub landlord, and I pride myself on serving the perfect pint and keeping a well stocked cellar.”

There is immense history to the pub, dating as far back as 1570. It is said that the ‘chequered board’ was used to help educate customers to count their money, and the old landlords of the pub were the money lenders to the locals. An ancient horseshoe is nailed to the bar, a luck link that spans 400 years, and the pub was one of Cheshire’s best known coaching inns on the main route from Manchester to London.

Interestingly, the Chequers was first called the Church Inn as worshipers and clerks from the Parish Church, just 50 yards from the inn, used to quench their thirsts after services. The Chequers is known to have a ghost called You, a stable hand who died in his 40s and whose presence has been felt in the cellar.