Widnes Welcomes Pesto in a Pub!
Pesto in a Pub is coming to Widnes Monday April 30th.
Just five months after opening Pesto in a Pub at the Cabbage Hall in Tarporley, Cheshire, we are delighted to announce the opening of our second Pesto in a Pub in Farnworth, Widnes.
Now, if you’re not familiar with Farnworth we’ve got some rather fascinating historical facts for you in this weeks blog, and in the coming days we’ll be adding pics of our stunning new Pesto in a Pub!
Farnworth village can be traced back to 1180, when a chapel dedicated to St Wilifrid was founded in the centre, although the earliest documentation dates back to 1352, when Henry, Duke of Lancaster established a hallmote court (a ye olde way of saying a fancy court) for the manor of Widnes.
Farnworth is a village with a mystical history; according to folklore, in medieval times the village came under threat from a griffin – a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The village blacksmith fought and killed the griffin, and was henceforth aptly dubbed ‘Bold’, which is apparently the origin of the local noble family Bold, who have a griffin incorporated in their family coat of arms.
- No griffins here…
Five-hundred or so years on the village remains griffin free, but should there be an expected griffin attack, Pesto in a Pub Widnes is the ideal place to settle down with a delicious meal and cold refreshing pint after a successful griffin slaying session.
In other Pesto news this week, we’ve got our fingers and toes crossed for Pesto Glasgow who have been nominated in the Scottish Entertainment Guide Awards in the Best New Restaurant category!
The awards take place this Sunday at Glasgow’s Thistle Hotel – we’ll announce how our Glasgow team fared on the Pesto Glasgow Facebook page on Monday – http://www.facebook.com/pestoglasgow
http://www.entertainmentguideawards.co.uk/
http://www.pestorestaurants.co.uk/pesto-in-a-pub/
Interview: Aga Cabbage Hall
Cabbage Hall manager Aga
Cabbage Hall manager Aga takes time out from managing the newest Pesto Italian Restaurant to tell us why she loves being a manager and what she hopes the future holds for Pesto at the Cabbage Hall.
How long have you been part of the Pesto team?
I have been part of the Pesto Cabbage Hall team for three months now.
What is the best thing about working for Pesto at the Cabbage Hall?
I love dealing with our Pesto customers. Here at Cabbage Hall people are very friendly and even though we are here for just over two months we have already regular customers and many of them are friends already
What is your favourite Pesto Cabbage Hall dish and drink?
I love many of our dishes, however if I would have to choose one of them I think it would be the bruschetta pomodoro. My favourite drink is for sure the soda water – we run here so much water is always welcome!
What’s the funniest thing to have happened to you at Cabbage Hall?
It was when the fire alarm went on in a very busy night. It took me some minutes to disarm it and when I finish I had all this faces looking at me. It was so funny, I just went around saying to everyone that it was fine, no fire at all.
Which three celebrities would you invite to dinner at Pesto Cabbage Hall?
It would be Hugh Grant, Demi Moore and George Clooney.
What inspired you to become a manager?
Necessity and loving been bossy! Just kidding! I love managing people, making sure that things are done properly, in a way that the customers would always feel like coming back.
After a meal at Pesto Cabbage Hall, what’s the best thing to do in Tarporley?
Go to sleep!
What was the last show you went to and how was it?
Yesterday, I went with friends to a pub in London. It had live music and we had the best time.
What does the next year at Pesto at the Cabbage Hall hold for you?
I hope a lot of fun, many more customers and hopefully getting a very good reputation for good service and food in the Tarporley region.
Castles and the Cabbage Hall
Pesto at the Cabbage Hall, aside from having two roaring fireplaces and a fine selection of traditional beers, boasts something the other Pesto sites do not – complete rural tranquility.
Stunning scenery, ideal for epic walking expeditions, surround Pesto at the Cabbage Hall making it the perfect location for a relaxing meal by the fire after a day out in Tarporley. But what exactly is there to do in Tarporley?
First off there’s Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, located just a few miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall in neighbouring Malpas. A product of the early 19th Century, Chlomondeley Castle stands above a lake and is surrounded by a variety of trees including oak, chestnut and lebannon. The gardens are of rare aesthetic beauty, offering a stunning blend of colour and height bordering romantic walks around the lake. The castle also has a children’s play area and farm animals including African pygmy goats and aviary with countless varieties of birds. Get your Attenborough on!
The castle is the perfect day out for anyone wishing to grab a slice of history, scenery and farmlife all in one day. http://www.cholmondeleycastle.com/Index.asp
Next up we have another historic castle in Tarporley; known as the the formidable ‘Castle of the Rock’, Beeston Castle is an impressive crag boasting stunning views over eight counties, from the Pennines to the Welsh mountains from its lookout point.
Perfect for inquisitive children, the castle is surrounded by beautiful woodlands with wildlife trails and even the chance to find the long-lost treasure of Richard II.
- Where’s me treasure?!
Beeston Castle is just a few miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall where children are more than welcome. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/beeston-castle-and-woodland-park/
Now, if castles aren’t floating your moat perhaps a safari adventure will! Reaseheath Zoo is based just a few short miles from Pesto at the Cabbage Hall and is home to an exquisite range of wildlife, from meerkats to bat-eared foxes.
If you’re planning a day out why not book your table for Pesto at the Cabbage Hall online? You can also ask us anything about our food, see pictures of the restaurant and tell us about your visit to Pesto at the Cabbage Hall on our Facebook page http://facebook.com/pestorestaurants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_of_England
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/beeston-castle-and-woodland-park/
http://www.cholmondeleycastle.com/Index.asp
http://www.visitchester.com/things-to-do/reaseheath-zoo-p115841
Pesto’s Perfect Trees!
Carrie and Big. Bert and Ernie. Cookies and milk. Some things just work better together, and without a tree Christmas just doesn’t work. The festive aroma, the decorating ritual and above all, presents underneath are part of what make Christmas, er, Christmassy!
Now, with there only being one days left till the big day itself, we’d hedge our bets that some of you are still scrambling to find the time to even choose a tree, never mind get it dressed up in time for Christmas morning. This is where we’re on hand to help! Here are Pesto’s top five tips for choosing the perfect tree!
1. Size does matter. If, like most of us, every inch of living space matters the last thing you want is a monster Redwood Christmas tree eating up your lounge. If you’re struggling to squeeze in a Tesco pot-plant, steer clear of lavish big trees, however tempting! Pick the perfect space for your tree and measure it before going shopping to save yourself a world of hassle later in the day.
2. Age also matters. A recent Facebook post from a most unlucky festive relative served as an excellent reminder that choosing where you buy your tree is every bit, if not more important than the tree. The relative in question splashed out a rather decadent £75 at her local farm shop only for the tree to wilt and die within ten days. Finding out whether your local tree stockist buys in their stock weekly or if it’s one big delivery will allow you to gauge how ago the tree was cut and judge whether it’s likely to be a duffer by Christmas morning.
3. Hate hoovering? The Norway Spruce might not be the tree for you…Some trees emit that gorgeous festive aroma, others retain their needles long after they’ve adopted that delightful shade of brown. For best needle retention the Noble Fir might be best for your household, while the Norway Fir really captures that festive scent.
4. Shape matters. As most Christmas trees in commercial shops have already been stuffed into nets, it makes it nigh on impossible to guess whether the tree in question has a classic Christmas tree shape, or is in fact a Side-Show Bob bonsai nightmare. Short of ripping the net off in-store (and possibly being removed from said shop) all you can do is try to find a small platform from which to gaze down the top of the tree to assess how even the branches are. Or you could try grabbing a tree from a local seller, who tend not to net their stock.
5. Fake it. If all of the above just seems too strenuous for arguably the most time-consuming month of the year, pop into John Lewis and buy a fake. Buying a fake does have its upsides; no messy pine needles, no faffing with nets, no watering around hundreds of potential fire hazards and best of all you can shove it in the attic and drag it out next year saving you time and money in the long run. All that aside, fake trees are rather naff, and it might just take you all year to find one that looks anywhere near as pretty as a genuine festive fir.
Struggling for a last minute stocking filler? Pop into Pesto today and pick up a gift voucher!
Keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter for more frequent updates.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Bradshaw
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_Spruce
Cinepanettone & Cocktails
Think Christmas movies, think It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooged, Nightmare Before Christmas, the Snowman and countless other festive feelgood classics. On the other hand, think Italian Christmas movies, and imagine Carry on Camping with a festive bent.
Cine-panettone are Italian comedy movies released over the Christmas period often based in, or featuring characters from the salubrious city of Milan. They also happen to feature quite a lot of nudity and some exceptionally bad acting.
Despite poor artistic merit, garbled plot-lines, gratuitous nudity and lowest-common-denominator, fore-head walloping humour, the cine-panettone offerings continue to drive festive film lovers to the big-screen in their droves.
While seasonal blockbusters Hugo, Arthur Christmas and Puss in Boots dominate the box office in the UK and America, Vacanze di Natale a Cortina is set to take the Italian box office by storm following the official theatre release today. You can check out the clip below, but it probably won’t make too much sense unless you speak Italian.
Now, Italian festive cinema aside, the team at Pesto Deansgate have a Christmas cocktail treat in store for all the party-lovers out there! This week we’ve been filming the making of some of the brand new cocktails as concocted by our very own Bartenders Extraordinaire Marcus and Christian! The guys talked us through how to make a couple of their own creations as well as their twists on cocktail classics. We’ll be sharing our secrets on YouTube in the coming days, so watch this space!
What are you up to over the festive season? Have you got a cocktail recipe you’d like to suggest? Let us know on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants) or Tweet us @pestorestaurant
Cabbage Hall Open Now!
Since opening in 2006 the Pesto family has been steadily growing, with four restaurants situated in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Today we are proud to announce the addition of Pesto at the Cabbage Hall to the family!
Located in stunning rural Cheshire, Pesto at the Cabbage Hall will offer Pesto’s delicious Italian piattini menu, alongside real ales in a cosy pub environment.
Pesto at the Cabbage Hall can be easily located from the main scenic routes through Cheshire, namely the A49 and A54 . Tarpoley is a hub of activity in otherwise sleepy Cheshire, with frequent dressage and cycling events taking place in and around the Cabbage Hall. Nearby attractions include historic Beeston Castle and Cheshire Pony Centre.
With its traditional pub atmosphere, Pesto at the Cabbage Hall is the ideal location for a family Christmas meal, why not check out our Christmas menu and reserve a table today? To make a bespoke reservation please call us on 01829 760292 where one of the Pesto team will be happy to discuss your requirements.
If you would like to make a Christmas booking for any of our other restaurants please call us on the numbers provided on the contact page, and for non-Christmas bookings you can use our simple reservations form here.
Have you got photos from your latest Pesto outing you’d like to share? Why not post them to Facebook or Tweet us?
http://www.facebook.com/pestorestaurants
http://www.twitter.com/pestorestaurant
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