Village inn The Swan at Marbury is celebrating its triumph as the best Cheshire pub at the Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Awards.
The Swan at Marbury team: left to right are Richard Goodwin (deputy manager), Clare Littler (assistant manager), Tom Morgan-Wynne (manager), Caitlin Harrison (deputy manager), and Joe Morris, head chef
Located in south Cheshire, near Wrenbury, The Swan — dating back to the 18th century — was relaunched only four years ago by Jerry Brunning’s Pubs Ltd group following a major programme of sympathetic restoration and refurbishment.
The Taste Cheshire judges said: “They really bring together all the elements that make a great pub, but most especially good fresh food with a warm and welcoming service. A great place to enjoy a Cheshire walk followed by a fantastic pub lunch. The wine selection adds something extra, but it’s the truly excellent and personal service which saw them snag the gold.”
The latest recognition adds to a string of awards collected since opening in 2018: top 40 Sunday lunches in the UK, Sawdays Guide 2021; best new pub in the UK, The Good Pub Guide 2020; summer pub of the year 2019, South Cheshire CAMRA.
The Swan boasts five handpulls, with cask ales from local brewers in Cheshire, North Wales, and Shropshire alongside JPA, the exclusive house pale ale, a range of ciders from independent producers,and several craft beers.
The Swan team celebrate at the awards presentation
Taste Cheshire judges were impressed by the extensive wine selection, including five house wines exclusively blended in Bordeaux and directly imported for tap dispense. The modern British menu, which mixes traditional classics with contemporary dishes, was also praised as “excellent quality, all fresh”.
Licensee Tom Morgan-Wynne said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win the gold award for best Cheshire pub, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team. We are lucky to have some brilliant customers who have really got behind The Swan since it opened four and a half years ago, and kindly voted for us in the awards.
“It’s a pleasure to look after them and, by way of thanks, we wanted to give something back, so throughout October we’ve taken 25% off everyone’s food and soft drinks bills on Mondays through Wednesdays. We will carry that on through November, too, and hope this makes it that bit easier to visit The Swan, whether for those who have been with us for years or those who haven’t tried us just yet.”
Pubs Ltd is headed by veteran pubs entrepreneur Jerry Brunning, founder of the Brunning & Price chain, now part of The Restaurant Group.
The Swan was the first pub to be opened in the emerging estate, which now includes The Black Bear in Whitchurch, Shropshire, The Hare at Farndon, Cheshire, and the Henry Potts in Watergate Street, Chester, the most recent opening in May this year.
