Elite Bistros chef Gary Usher has revealed plans to open his first gastropub in Cheshire.
The popular chef behind esteemed Manchester restaurants Hispi and Kala shared that his company is in the process of buying up The White Horse in Churton
Piquing the interest of many of his loyal foodie followers, the news also started a bit of a debate about whether dogs should be allowed in (spoiler alert, they will be).
The historic pub has long been a local favourite, but has been shuttered since the start of the Covid pandemic as former licensees Dave and Jackie Biles had found the business was becoming “unsustainable”.
It was listed for sale with a guide price of £495,000, but Usher has since confirmed that an offer has now been accepted on the property.
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Image: Hispi
Image: Hispi
Promising to deliver ‘unpretentious’ food and ‘great drinks’, he’s clearly aware of what the locals want from the pub – and at pains to stress that that is what he wants, too.
“We are in the middle of buying the White Horse pub in Churton but it’s not complete. I’ve always loved it there & it would be a dream for us to run it,” he tweeted.
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As well as having plenty of room downstairs for diners, the pub also has bedrooms upstairs – leading some to wonder if these will be available to guests from further afield wanting to make a night of it.
It’s clearly a labour of love for Usher, who revealed that his parents live nearby and he is a huge fan of the area.
Sharing the news to Twitter, he wrote: “I’m a terrible business person because I can’t keep my mouth shut when I’m excited. We are in the middle of buying the white horse pub in Churton but it’s not complete.
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Sirloin roast dinner for two at Kala, Manchester. / Image: Kala
“I’ve always loved it there and it would be a dream for us to run it. The pub is beautiful and so is the area. My mum and dad live a few minutes away so I’m very familiar with the area and walking my dog Billy there with my mum and dad’s dog Rossa.
“I’m absolutely aware how much the White Horse means to the community in Churton because like any good pub that’s who it’s primarily there for, the community, and anyone else who visits is a lovely bonus. If we get it I don’t want to rip it apart and change the way it looks. I love it.
“Our plans at the White Horse are pretty simple, we want to serve great drinks, delicious unpretentious food by a team that love what they do. I’m super keen to hear what the local community like.”
Early grey, tonka and brown butter custard tart, Armagnac prunes at Kala, Manchester / Image: Kala
It will be the first gastropub for Usher, who already has a network of lauded eateries across the north west.
These include Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Chester, Burnt Truffle in Heswall on the Wirral, Hispi in Didsbury, south Manchester; Wreckfish in Liverpool; Pinion in Prescot; and Kala in Manchester.
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All these eateries, with the exception of Sticky Walnut, were opened with the help of crowdfunding.
Usher has also previously hinted about opening a tapas restaurant called Joya this year. The chef has previously said that his company is looking to raise £2m by selling shares in the restaurant business.
This plan would allow Usher to create a new brand within it and open three further sites.
The chef has said that a CrowdCube fundraiser for the pub will launch on 4 April. For more updates, make sure to follow the new Instagram page for the pub here.
Feature image – Rightmove
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Fundraiser set up for surviving taxi passengers involved in fatal Bolton crash last weekend
Emily Sergeant
A fundraiser has been set up for the surviving taxi passengers involved in a devastating and fatal head-on collision in Bolton last weekend.
At around 12:45am last weekend (Sunday 11 January), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a collision on Wigan Road in Bolton, where a Seat Leon was travelling down the road and collided with a Citroen C4 Picasso – which was a taxi.
The driver of the Seat, and two passengers – who were all aged between 18 and 19 – have died following the collision.
The driver of the Citroen was also sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The three teenagers have been named by GMP as Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali, Farhan Patel, and Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, all from Bolton, while the taxi driver was named as Masrob Ali from Blackburn.
Police are appealing after a serious crash between a car and a taxi in Bolton leaves four dead and five others injured.
Funerals have already taken place for each of the deceased and a number of fundrasiers have previously been set up in memory of Masrob – who was a father of four – for his grieving family, which you can donate to here.
Two of the victims have been named as Tom and George Daniels, aged 29 and 28, while the identities of the other two have been withheld in order to protect and respect their privacy, although it has been confirmed by GMP that they are a 29-year-old female and a 30-year-old male.
According to the GoFundMe page, set up for the four victims by close friends Lucie Wilson and Jake Regan, the injuries sustained by the four passengers vary in severity from serious internal injuries, injuries to the brain, and ‘unimaginable trauma’.
Tom and George Daniels, two of the survivors of a fatal crash in Bolton last weekend / Credit: GoFundMe
“The road ahead for all of them is long, uncertain, and deeply challenging, requiring extensive medical care, time, and support,” Lucie explained on the GoFundMe page.
The funds raised will be shared between all survivors in the taxi.
The description on the GoFundMe page reads: “The money raised is intended to support immediate expenses not covered by insurance. This is to help relieve some of the additional pressure on their families, allowing them to focus entirely on healing.”
Any contribution, no matter the size, is said to go towards making a ‘meaningful difference’ as the survivors begin to navigate their lives ahead.
The families of the survivors have also kindly asked that any ‘anger or frustration felt is directed not towards blame or hate, but towards hope, healing, and recover’.
More than £26,000 has already been raised (at the time of writing), with donations rising by the minute, and if you would like to contribute, you can do so here.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is still appealing for information and witnesses, and are urging anyone that may be able to help to come forward. This includes anyone who saw the vehicle driving before the collision, witnessed the incident itself, or has dashcam / CCTV footage.
Can you help? Anyone with any information is urged to contact the SCIU directly on 0161 856 4741, quoting log 111 of 11/01/2025.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In yet more huge sporting news for Greater Manchester, the 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to 0161 later this year.
We’ve had plenty of big peaks of late, but things seem to just keep going up and up.
Set to host the global event for the first time in our history, Manchester will welcome the World Climbing Series (WCS), which is set to include both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines ahead of the next Summer Games in 2028.
2027 will mark the 38th edition of the series, which will also be one of only a handful to be held in the North – it’s just down to our city to make it the best.
Officially announced on Friday, 16 January, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) confirmed the return to the UK.
Founded back in 1989, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is coming up on four decades since the competition first began – Leeds being chosen as the inaugural hosts – the event has come a long way since then.
The IFSC’s rebranding of the annual bouldering, lead and speed trials to the modern WSC, which began last year, was initially revealed back in 2023.
Welcoming continental talent right down to the youth level, the upcoming 2026 World Climbing Series is taking place in the summer and will be hosted by the city of Innsbruck in Austria.
As for the WSC’s Manchester debut, which is being organised in collaboration with the City Council, Manchester Accommodation BID, MCR Active and the National Lottery via UK Sport investment.
It’s not the only big sporting celebration that the Council will be supporting in 2027.
Paul Ratcliffe, CEO of the British Mountaineering Council, said in an official statement: “It’s exciting to be able to confirm that a World Series climbing event will return to the UK in 2027 as part of the BMC’s major event programme.
“Hosting a competition of this scale in Manchester is a strong statement about the UK’s place on the international climbing stage and a great opportunity for our athletes, fans, the climbing community and the wider public to experience the sport at the very highest level.
“Our ‘Route to Adventure’ strategy sets out how we will build on moments like this to support people into climbing and help them progress, whatever their starting point. Using major events to inspire participation, strengthen pathways and reinforce our commitment to inclusion is central to our long-term approach.”
Scheduled to take place in June, you can find out more information about the 2027 World Climbing Series in Manchester by signing up for the official event mailing list HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
7th March 2022 
