Gary Usher's Cheshire pub The White Horse named among top gastropubs in the UK

Gary Usher's The White Horse pub in Churton near Chester, Cheshire
-Credit:Manchester Evening News


A Cheshire-based country pub has once again been recognised as one of the UK's finest gastropubs.

The White Horse in Churton, near Chester, helmed by Chef Gary Usher, has secured a spot in the Top 100 Gastropubs for 2025, as compiled by Estrella Damm. This marks the second consecutive year for the pub, part of the Elite Bistros group, to be featured on this prestigious list, an honour that the team is thrilled about.

Ranking at number 86, The White Horse was purchased and extensively renovated by Gary Usher before its grand reopening in March 2023. The revamp followed a successful crowdfunding campaign spearheaded by the chef himself.

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Since its doors opened, the pub has played host to numerous renowned chefs and culinary celebrities

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-Credit:Manchester Evening News

The Top 100 list, curated by hospitality industry insiders including top chefs and food writers, showcases the best of British gastropubs. The top 50 will be unveiled later this month, but in the meantime, Estrella Damm will be gradually revealing those ranked from 51 to 100 over the next ten days.

This gastropub guide has already announced the first 14 pubs within the top 100. Other notable mentions include the Fox and Barrel, another Cheshire gem described as a 'proper country pub', the Drunken Duck Inn near Ambleside, and The Blind Bull nestled in the heart of the Peak District.

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The guide has previously featured other notable establishments, such as Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats, which marked its debut appearance, and The Pack Horse in Hayfield, already well-known for its culinary offerings.

Upon learning of their inclusion in the 2025 list, the team at The White Horse re-shared Estrella Damm's post on their Instagram stories, expressing gratitude with the message: "Honoured to be in this list again! ".

The White Horse menu boasts an assortment of treats, including beer-battered frickles and Cumberland chipolatas as snacks, plus a variety of toast toppings such as stout rarebit, mackerel pate, and fish fingers. Traditional pub fare includes haddock and chips, chicken, mushroom and tarragon pie, and roast beef and rolled pork belly on Sundays.

Proprietor and chef Usher oversees a portfolio of award-winning restaurants, among them Greater Manchester's Kala in Manchester and Hispi in Didsbury, as well as Wreckfish in Liverpool, Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Pinion in Prescot, a catering business, and a cook-at-home spin-off.

The White Horse in Churton opened in 2023
-Credit:Manchester Evening News

However, it was announced just last week by the renowned chef that one of his earliest ventures, Burnt Truffle in Heswall, Wirral, will close its doors. Usher shared an emotional update, explaining that the North-West restaurant, launched in 2015, never found its footing.

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Last Wednesday on X, Usher opened up about the closure of Burnt Truffle: "So Burnt Truffle, I had a ten-year lease and that lease has come to an end. I could have renewed that lease but the honest truth is I've never been able to make it work here, I've been quite vocal about how difficult the government have made it over the last few years but ultimately I've never been able to make it work here."

Reflecting on the restaurant's journey, he added: "It is a sad day, it really is, you know when I think back to when we opened here and we had the likes of Jay Rayner and Lisa Markwell coming and we got two rosettes quite quickly too, we were the first crowdfunded restaurant in the UK with non-investment crowdfunding, so that started our journey with crowdfunding actually."

Looking ahead, Usher said: "So what does it mean for the business going forward, well we carry on, we just keep going, we keep trying and we keep innovating to get through these tough times and that's it really, thank you to everyone that came, thank you to all the team, thank you to all the guests, we've love being in Heswall, we've loved being in Burnt Truffle, but that's the end."

Gary Usher's The White Horse in Churton, near Chester opened in March 2023
-Credit:Manchester Evening News

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