When chef-restaurateur Gary Usher drove past a derelict Cheshire pub for sale near his parent’s house it sparked the seeds of a new culinary idea.
Fast forward a year, and the 115-year-old White Horse pub in Churton has been renovated and restored and opened in March to much acclaim.
Gary Usher is one of the North West’s leading chefs, and the man behind the award-winning Sticky Walnut in Chester, Burnt Truffle in Heswall and Hispi in Didsbury.
So why has he just opened his first pub?
“I don’t know if it was ever the plan, but after opening six bistros we knew a thing or two,” says Gary.
“We all saw so many pubs closing up over the pandemic and I started to think that if we found the right one, we could probably make a go of it.
“I began my career in pubs, have always loved them and I wanted to rescue this one after I saw the for-sale sign outside when I was driving through the village.
“A property developer was trying to buy the pub while we were, to knock it down and build flats. Pubs are such a huge part of British history and culture and it’s such a shame to see so many go in recent years. It’s lovely to be a part of keeping one.
“Some of my best memories as a kid are running around pubs my mum and dad would take us to.
Gary’s parents, Lindsey and John Usher, were also the inspiration for the location – Churton.
“My parents live nearby so I know the area well and I’ve visited a lot of the local pubs,” adds Gary. “I spotted that The White Horse had closed over the lockdown and hadn’t reopened, so I started popping my head in while I was out walking my dog, Billy, and speaking to the locals to see what the plan for it was.”
After raising money via a crowdfund (he raised the target of £220,000 in just 24 hours, £27,000 of which landed in the first five minutes), Gary was astonished by the support and warm welcome from the local community.
“We had offers of help from so many people during the renovation. It was amazing. A proper community effort,” he said. “We had neighbours popping over with home-made brownies and flasks of soup, people helping in the garden and many others offering their services and tools for free.
“At the start of the project it was a bit daunting seeing all the works that needed to be done, because we planned to do a lot of it ourselves.
“But that same week we started on site we had people stopping by and offering their tools or saying they’ve got a mate who can help. It was invaluable and we owe a lot of this to them.
“Just ahead of opening to the public, we invited everyone who had supported us to an opening party at the pub to thank them.”
Gary began his career working as an apprentice in a North Wales pub before working at the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester and then heading south to London. He worked at the award-winning Michelin starred restaurant Chez Bruce and then with chef Angela Hartnett at York & Albany.
He has been running his own restaurants for 12 years and has used the crowdfunding model to grow his company, Elite Bistros, to six sites.
What makes the pub special?
“In a rural setting like this, a pub is a hugely important community space. I like to think that we listen to people and learn what they want here.
“The front is a traditional pub and the back is where we serve great pub food – everything from beer-battered haddock and chips and a dry aged beef burger to curried lamb pie.
“I love the hospitality industry and I love this pub. And I would like to do it again – in fact we’ve been to see a few already, but I can’t reveal where yet. You’ll have to keep an eye on social media for that!” he teases.
