Our Story
More Than a Meal. A Moment.
A modern British gastropub built around great produce, generous hospitality and the rhythm of the Cheshire seasons.
The Beginning
How The Oakwood Came to Be
The Oakwood started life as a tired village inn on the edge of Nantwich. We saw a building with good bones — an open hearth, oak beams older than memory, a garden that caught the afternoon sun — and a corner of Cheshire crying out for somewhere proper to eat.
Two years of slow, careful work later, we opened the doors. The kitchen is led by chefs who care deeply; the floor is run by people who genuinely love what they do. The plates have got better and busier ever since.
We're proud of what we've built. More than that, we're proud of the regulars who made it ours — the table-for-two on a Tuesday, the family that comes every Sunday, the couple who got engaged at table seven.
Our Philosophy
Local. Seasonal. Properly Done.
We work with growers and farmers within an hour's drive. Beef from native breeds raised on Cheshire pasture, lamb from the Welsh hills, vegetables from kitchen gardens we know by name.
The menu changes with the seasons — sometimes with the week — because that's what cooking with real ingredients demands. And our 35-day dry-aging programme is the beating heart of the kitchen: patient, traditional, deeply rewarding.
The Team
The People Behind the Plates
James Whitlock
Head Chef
Twelve years in Michelin-starred kitchens before coming home to Cheshire. Believes good food is honest food.
Sophie Marlowe
General Manager
A natural host who remembers every name. Has been welcoming guests to Oakwood since the day we opened.
Daniel Reeve
Sous Chef
Pastry-trained, fire-obsessed. Daniel runs the grill section and oversees the dry-aging programme.
Eleanor Hayes
Front of House Manager
Wine geek and former sommelier. Quietly responsible for the list you'll fall in love with.
Always Welcome
Four-Legged Friends Welcome
Dogs are warmly welcomed in our bar area and on the terrace. We'll bring fresh water to your table — and a biscuit for the well-behaved.