A pub located at the heart of Chester Zoo has picked up a huge Tripadvisor award after it was ranked in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.
The Oakfield at Chester Zoo – which only opened doors two years ago – has been handed an esteemed 2020 Travellers’ Choice Award by the world’s largest travel website Tripadvisor, which is based on customer feedback submitted by users.
This accolade follows the loving refurbishment of the Grade II listed house, which was once home to the zoo’s founder George Mottershead, into the pub.
George and his family moved to The Oakfield in 1931 to begin building what is now the UK’s most visited zoo.
A pioneer of his time, George lived out his dream to create the world’s first ‘zoo without bars’, which would forever change the way that exotic animals are cared for.
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From a family home, a tea room, an aquarium and now a contemporary British pub that celebrates the zoo’s rich heritage, visitors can to The Oakfield can relax in the Mottershead’s former library, or enjoy a meal in the rooms which were once part of the family home.
Speaking on the announcement of the award, Simon Lockhart – Chester Zoo’s Food and Beverage General Manager – said: “The Oakfield has only been open for two years, so to gain such a major accolade in this short space of time is a brilliant achievement, and what makes this award all the more special to us is that it’s based entirely on real opinions and genuine, honest feedback from our guests.
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“The Tripadvisor team analyses thousands of reviews and ratings from travellers everywhere before handing out this honour – that’s why it means such an awful lot.
“I’m so proud of the team’s hard work and dedication to make our pub such an exceptional place for our guests. The Oakfield has retained the original details of the house to give it a real ‘home from home’ feeling, with precious family photos showing what the zoo was like at the very beginning. Rooted in history, it’s the real centrepiece of the zoo, where guests relax outside on the terrace and admire the beautiful grounds, or cosy up in front of the fire and enjoy the best freshly-prepared, locally-sourced food.
“The award has really given us a boost during what is a really challenging time for the zoo.
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“The pandemic, and our long period of closure, has pushed our wonderful charity to the brink, but we’re so glad to have again been able to open our doors and continue to provide our guests with a fantastic dining experience with a difference.”
The Oakfield
A trip to The Oakfield is worth more than just grabbing a pint and a bite to eat too.
Did you know that all of the revenue generated by The Oakfield supports the Chester Zoo’s crucial conservation work to protect endangered species from extinction?
It’s also a vital source of income for the charity zoo in its ongoing battle to protect its future.
The Oakfield is also taking part in the #EatOutToHelpOut scheme every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the remainder of August and you can get up to 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks as many times as you like.
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Whilst walk-ins may be able to be accommodated, it’s always advised to make a reservation in advance of your visit to avoid disappointment.
All bookings can be made and more information / menus can be found via The Oakfield’s website here.
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The Chestergate pub in Stockport is at it again with some of the most wonderfully Manc scenes you’ll ever see
Danny Jones
The legendary Chestergate pub in Stockport is back with another belter of a video, following on from their viral belly-flashing clip of 2022.
The Mersey Square boozer has painted yet another quintessentially Northern depiction of UK pub culture with the latest Manc scenes they’ve captured around the karaoke machine.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of stumbling into The Chestergate in Stockport town centre, the long-standing boozer currently operated by publican chain Blind Tiger Inns, you’re seriously missing out.
While it might not be the flashiest of pubs, when it comes to entertainment, it always delivers.
Whether it’s stunts like renaming themselves ‘The Southgate’ whenever the Euros or World Cup rolls around, or the locals just genuinely having a whale of a time no matter what day of the week it is, it really sums up the best of pub culture.
The Chestergate went viral for some of the most British footage ever caught on film back in 2022 and the videos saw a huge wave of love and support flooding in for the pub, as well as a healthy amount of chuckles. Safe to say we were chuffed to see them pop back up on our feed again recently.
Karaoke night at The Chestergate literally never disappoints.
Forget ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’ for karaoke songs – we’ll take a cacophony of inaudible throwback pop music, whilst another bloke and his hype man try and MC over a totally ill-fitting beat any day of the week.
And that’s handy because you’ll find those kinds of shenanigans happening at this place all the time.
It’s simultaneously one of the most no-nonsense and somehow a non-stop shenanigan-filled paradise. They also look after their own and consider their regulars part of the family. Case and point: they threw their very own ‘Dancing Queen’ Molly a big bash for her 86th birthday and it’s such wholesome viewing.
At this point, it’s worth flagging that we have nothing but envy for these folks and anyone who’s just out there having the time of their lives on any random weeknight.
Yes, it produced plenty of laughs for those watching online in recent times but this lot won’t mind one bit – not only is the pub seeing more and more new faces through the door but that’s the whole point of a pub, isn’t it? Going for a pint with your nearest and dearest and having a laugh.
Not only is it very Manchester but it’s Britain at its very best.
We hope to see you at The Chestergate pub in Stockport for a pint or two sometime soon and we’re making a bit of a prat of ourselves, don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll have the cameras ready for you.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
Emily Sergeant -
18th August 2020 
