Community pub on the edge of Cannock Chase renowned for high quality food and refreshing drinks

It's also a pub which has become as a place for a good pint, a foodies paradise and a community hub for those living in the nearby village.

The Chetwynd Arms can be found in the village of Upper Longdon, near Rugeley, surrounded on all sides by Cannock Chase Forest, while also being sited close to a caravan and camping site and the Beau Desert Golf Club.

Sitting in the beer garden, customers can look out over the chase and take in the stunning views, while also marvelling at the large cream white pub, which is owned by Admiral Taverns and currently run by licensees Nicola and Gary Thomas.

Ms Thomas said the pub had been influenced by the horse riding industry in how it was built, while the name came from the Chetwynd family who owned the land and rode their horses there.

She also spoke about she and her husband had come to run the Chetwynd Arms and what the pub was like when they moved in.

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She said: "There was quite a big estate on the Chase where they lived and that was the land they owned, and the Chetwynd name is used by a few pubs, such as one in Brocton that we get confused with.

"We've been here 10 years, celebrated our anniversary in November, and when we took it on, it was very much a drinkers pub where you just had workmen coming in and it was a very male-dominated place which didn't do a lot of food.

"We've worked on that and maintained a relationship with the locals, but also established a really good food business and we do events as well, so we've been able to open up to be a place where women and children all feel comfortable here and it doesn't just feel male dominated anymore."

As an Admiral Taverns pub, the Chetwynd Arms sells the range which is provided by the pub chain, with Wainwrights and Tribute staple choices for ales on handpulls, while there was also a rotating list of ales on offer.

She said: "Wainwrights and Tribute are the ones we always have, but we do like to change up the beers we have quite regularly, such as the two Wye Valley beers we have on at the moment.

"We're quite well known for ales as Gary keeps a very good pint and knows all about the skill of cleaning the beer lines and also knowing what the locals want and what they like, so we always change up regularly to keep them interested."

That relationship with the locals has been part of the success of the Chetwynd Arms, with Ms Thomas saying that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the support of the community had been invaluable and had continued to the present day.

She said: "We found that during Covid, we just kept the locals involved by running little competitions for children to do pictures and photos to send to the pub and we'd also sell them crisps from behind the bar, so the community was really supportive then.

"That has continued since and we have a good rapport with locals, as well as pulling in trade from the surrounding area, like the camping and caravan site and the golf course.

"We're also a dog-friendly pub and we have a lot of horse riders go by, so we're becoming a destination pub."

The destination pub tag is one which rings true for the Chetwynd Arms, with Ms Thomas saying that the welcome for anyone coming in was a warm one, while prices for ales, lagers and ciders were affordable, averaging around £4.85.

The Chetwynd Arms is also well-known for its excellent food selection, serving proper pub food and while the restaurant is set to be closed through February for renovation works, Ms Thomas said the quality of the food would make the wait worth it.

She said: "Our best seller is our homemade pie, which is a proper pie top and bottom and fillings alongside homemade chips, but we also do quite a wide fish selection, crispy chilli chicken, gammon and steaks, burgers and a high volume of gluten free, vegan and vegetarian dishes.

"The Chetwynd Arms means a sense of community and being part of a lovely village where we have the support of the locals and it's a pleasure to live above it and in the heart of the chase in such a lovely pub with a great reputation."