Cheshire Cheese pub in Middlewich has served drinks for 240 years

Janice Oxley took over behind the pumps in 2020 just before Covid-19 hit.

Here in our new feature – Meet The Landlord / Landlady – Janice tells us how she started working in a bar – something she never actually intended – and what it was like winning one of our Best of 2023 awards last year.

If you want to be featured in Meet The Landlord / Landlady, appear as our Business of the Week or be in one of our Food and Drink features email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

Meet The Landlady - Cheshire Cheese's Janice Oxley

What’s your name?

Janice Oxley

How old are you?

I’m 62

What is the name and location of your pub / bar?

Cheshire Cheese in Middlewich

The venue has recently been renovated

What is your job title?

My role is landlady

How long have you been in the pub / bar industry?

I started doing bar work in 2017 when I took over at The White Horse before it changed to offices in 2018.

Tell me a bit about how you came to be a landlady of your pub

I never dreamt of running a bar - I always wanted a BnB by the sea! A friend of mine ran The White Horse but with his work commitments he was giving it up. So, I took it on knowing nothing about how to run it. A good friend of mine helped me and once it closed to become offices I’d caught the bug and wanted to run another one. I ran the Turnpike in Middlewich, which was more of a family fun pub, and I ran that for 12 months. Then it changed to a big food pub so I move out and worked behind a few bars in Middlewich. Then in 2020, I got offered the Cheshire Cheese.

The Cheshire Cheese in Middlewich dates back 240 years

What sets your pub / bar out from the crowd?

The Cheshire Cheese started as a pub in 1783 and it has a lot of history. There was a cottage at the side which is now part of the pub. The beer garden used to be the car park with cobbled stone and the kitchen was only put in a few years after it became a pub.

What do customers like about your pub / bar?

Our customers love the atmosphere in the bar and the friendliness of the bar staff. They love the real ales, a good pint and the log burner - we used to have an open fire but since the refurb last year we now have a log burner.

What is your proudest career moment to date?

My proudest achievement was winning Pub of the Year 2023 with the Northwich and Winsford Guardian. Since I opened the Cheese - just before Covid hit in 2020 - it’s been very challenging and I nearly handed it back in November 2020 as I lost so much money. But I stuck it out and it’s starting to thrive again.

The popular beer garden which used to be a cobbled stone car park

What is your top tipple?

Wine and wine rum and coke – I need it!

What is your favourite local place to go for a drink and why?

To be honest I don’t go out drinking much if I have a drink it’s usually at home, at Cheshire Cheese or The Little Man in Winsford, which is my second pub that I run with my partner.

What’s your career ambition?

My ambition is to keep doing what I’m doing and keep my wonderful staff and customers happy for many more years.