THE new owners of The White Lion at Weston have ambitious expansion plans with the aim of cementing its reputation among the premier dining and hotel establishments in South Cheshire.

The 17th-century hostelry has been drawing in appreciative customers over the years thanks to its unique location in Weston village and close to the M6.

Now Carl Boulton and his team want to take the quality of food and service on to the next level, while overseeing an expansion in the hotel's luxury accommodation, developing corporate business and putting on a calendar of live events to woo in new customers.

Carl, the CEO of Optimum Pay Group, bought the business last month after spotting the potential for growth as the hospitality sector eases its way out of a difficult year.

Manager Chris Johnson was joined recently by Harish Aggarwal, a hospitality specialist, whose ambition is to make the White Lion a focal point for the community and the premier dining establishment in Cheshire

The White Lion's 17 en-suite rooms, bar and restaurant offer a fantastic experience for the discerning customer, but the venue also wants to carry on being the go-to place for locals too.

That commitment to the community is why Crewe Nub News is delighted to have the White Lion sponsoring the What's On section of our online news site.

"We want to make the White Lion the place to be. There is competition in the area, but our idea is to offer that bit more of a niche experience," says Chris.

"Our market is aspirational and mature and we know people don't mind paying for a good meal. But equally we don't want to step away from being a local country pub too - we want to offer a mix of local, freshly sourced gastronomic delights, fine wines from around the world, wonderful cask ales from around the UK all combined with a world-class hospitality experience."

Plans are in place to more than double accommodation to 35 rooms, which will help develop the White Lion's weddings offer.

With a private dining room offering an intimate setting for up to 40 guests and, of course, a licence for civil ceremonies, there will be a big expansion in weddings once restrictions allow, with the aim to host up to 30 a year as well as increase capacity with the potential of having a fixed structure, not only to hold weddings, but product launches and corporate events.

Chris adds: "Carl has kept all the team on and everything is geared up to increasing the quality of the food and service.

"He has come in with a tremendous enthusiasm as he can see the potential of what can happen here - these are exciting times for us.

"The only way is up now after being closed for such a long time during a tough year."

The White Lion wants to tempt people back out and spend time not only enjoying a meal, but some live music too.

It has taken advantage of the easing of restrictions with a comfortable and spacious outdoor drinking and dining area where capacity has been expanded to 115 places, helped by setting up an outside marquee and a brand new decking area which offers direct sunlight. The White Lion is the most relaxing and tranquil place in Cheshire.

Indoor service has been busy since May and diversifying the offer with live entertainment is sure to be a draw.

Harish, who brings with him a wealth of experience from the corporate hospitality sector across the UK and Europe, says: "I have worked at some of the worlds biggest events and entertained various VIPs and celebrities.

"The White Lion is very intimate and personable, but carries so much potential, people will recognise the exceptional service from gastro pub classics to an intimate fine dining experience. Guests will see a major difference when The White Lion delivers its butler service to its guests."

Special events such as Taster Course food events with luxury wines, Gin Nights, live music are planned, both outside on the venue's decking area and inside with classical harpists or saxophonists, as well as a regular spot for a pianist to add to the ambience in the evenings.

"The quality of the food is exceptional here," adds Harish, however, our aim is to experiment further with our talented team of chefs, that will add the theatre to our food and our service. People will travel from afar just to try and book a table, as the The White Lion will be the only place to visit."

And Harish stresses: "We want this to be a place where staff enjoy coming in to work and where they can flourish, we have major plans for training our team to an exceptional level. There is a huge turnover in this industry and a massive shortage of people who want to work in it – but we want people here who are looking to build a career.

"Most of the core team have been here for two to three years and most of the kitchen staff for four or five years."

Carl and the team, who are passionate about food, drink and service will take The White Lion to a different plain.

Speaking to Nub News, it is easy to see why Chris and Harish are brimming with enthusiasm for the project that lies ahead after some difficult times.

"We couldn't plan for more than four to five weeks ahead," recalls Chris. "We've jumped through the hoops and all the necessary legislation and our workload has increased ten times.

"But we've got a very Covid-safe environment here and we make sure we adhere to everything we need to. People do feel safe when they come in."

Speaking on the new sponsorship deal with Nub News, CEO Karl Hancock said: "Congratulations to Carl on taking over a wonderful pub. It's fantastic to have the Weston White Lion as our new What's On sponsor.

"Not only is the food superb but it's my regular place to eat and drink when in Crewe. The sunset in the beer garden at the back is amazing."

Check the White Lion out online here and on Facebook here.