Nelson Hotels are delighted to announce that The Pheasant Inn at Burwardsley has been awarded an AA rosette in recognition of the inn’s consistently outstanding food. The AA inspector remarked that “dinner was the highlight of the stay” with an inventive use of fresh produce, prepared and served with skill and care.
Group Executive Chef of Nelson Hotels Paul Prescott commented “We strive to deliver an exceptional dining experience and we are proud to be holders of an AA rosette at The Bear’s Paw, Ciro’s at Grosvenor Pulford and Spa and now The Pheasant Inn. It’s a fantastic achievement which we fully intend to uphold.”
This accolade is all the more rewarding because Head Chef Matt Leech is a relatively new member of the team, joining The Pheasant in August 2013. Paul continued, “The Pheasant’s AA rosette demonstrates Matt’s passion for food and his ability to hit the ground running combined with the hard work and positive attitude of the team as a whole.”
The AA rosette rounds off an exciting start to 2014 for The Pheasant. The inn closed briefly in the New Year to undergo a mini refurbishment and re-opened on Valentine’s Day to favourable reviews from customers on the new layout and refreshed decor.
Operations Director Andrew Nelson explains, “all our inns are themed to their environment and The Pheasant Inn is a typical Cheshire country pub that reflects the hunting, shooting, fishing and walking associated with this area. Whichever Nelson Hotels Inn you visit we aim to offer the same quality of experience for our customers, whilst also reflecting the individual character of each property.”
Whilst much of the mini refurbishment has been cosmetic, there have also been alterations to the fabric of the building such as building a porch at the main entrance, replacing wooden floors and moving internal walls. This internal restructuring was undertaken to create more space and less separation between the larger part of the restaurant and the bar area. The opening-up of this space has successfully enhanced the cohesion within the pub and improved the overall ambience.
The final change at The Pheasant comes in the form of a new manager. Laura Lautrete joined the Pheasant team in January. Raised in Melbourne, Australia, Laura moved to Cheshire in her teens and has spent the last 15 years in a variety of roles in restaurants in London – most notably managing one of Oliver Peyton’s restaurants in Mayfair. Her return to Cheshire is definitely The Pheasant’s gain. Laura comments “I love the local feel of running a pub and really enjoy becoming part of the community….I’ve happily swapped my heels for wellies!”
It’s been an excellent start to 2014 for Nelson Hotels; along with the exciting changes and excellent achievement at The Pheasant Inn, their sister property The Fishpool Inn has recently been awarded Best New Pub in the UK at The Publican Awards. To add to this, The Fishpool has also just been announced as a finalist for Best Pub at this year’s Chester & Cheshire Food and Drink Awards. So it is hoped that Nelson Hotel’s recent success continues into the year.
