December - Governors House
Governors House
43 Ravenoak Road, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport SK8 7EQ
The Stockport and South Manchester Branch of CAMRA has voted the Governors House, as its Pub of the Month for December 2015. Local Cheadle Hulme Ale Person and long-time resident Chris Walkden reports.
The Governors House premises date from 1882; originally called the Ravenoak Hotel, the name was changed to the Oakley Manor in the 1980s. In 1998, Nottingham brewery Hardys & Hansons bought the place, renamed it and converted it to a cosy, multi-room modern pub with cask ale. In 2006, the brewery was taken over by Greene King and it became part of their sprawling estate. For the next eight years, the place trundled along under a number of managers, flirting with guest beers from time to time.
Enter new managers Liam and Michaela Ward in October 2014, fresh from running a wine bar in Knutsford. Liam immediately spotted an opportunity to improve the cask offering to give a wider range of styles and tastes, so three additional handpumps were installed, meaning eight good quality beers are now on offer at busy times. Beers are sourced from the SIBA list and several local breweries' products will be found on the bar; in fact Cryptic have now started to supply their Tip of the Tongue bitter as a regular. Greene King offerings often include their experimental one-off beers.
Liam is grateful for the advice and assistance that has come from other GK pubs such as the Taps in Lytham and the Freshfield in Formby. To promote local breweries, a regular meet the brewer evening has been introduced on the first Wednesday of each month and a beer festival was held during National Cask Ale Week. This pro-cask policy has paid off, bringing in many new faces, and cask sales are up over 50% in the last 12 months. Good value food is served all day and nine en-suite bedrooms are available.
So why not come and join the celebrations with Liam, Michaela, Sam, Jamie and the 15-strong team on Tuesday 29th December from 8pm? What better way to beat those post-Christmas blues - and get your Winter Warmer Wander sticker too! The 313 bus from Stockport and X57 from East Didsbury will drop you outside (but check the Christmas timetable) or it's only a 10 minute walk from Cheadle Hulme railway station. You never know, you might enjoy yourself so much that you stay the night!