About Us

Here is just a little info to let you get to know us better...

History

Here is a little potted history of our pub and the local area... if you have a spare minute or two and maybe a cup of tea (or is that a G&T), we think it's well worth a read.

The Morris Dancer can claim to be Kelsall's oldest surviving public house.

For most of its history it has been known as The Globe and can be dated back to Cheshire records of the 1630s. It may well have been there earlier.

Alehouses began to flourish after Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. Up until then the monks had had a virtual monopoly of the manufacture and distribution of ale and the provision of board and lodgings for the poor, and also travellers - particularly pilgrims, the tourists of their day.

The Globe Inn was located along the old Watling Street route; also close to where it was joined by a branch track connecting with the road through Tarporley to London. Chester was still the main port for Ireland. Pub licences were first issued in 1552, but the earliest Cheshire records are from 1629. Ten licences, including The Globe, were issued in Kelsall between 1630 and 1636. Six alehouses are recorded in 1630, but unfortunately the research available does not specify which landlord was at The Globe itself. There was one alehouse for every 10 households.

This trend continued and by the early 19th century Kelsall had three times as many hostelries than most mid-Cheshire villages. The road enhanced the local economy by providing custom for three inns and several beer houses. It provided work for the smith and the saddler and was one of the two great influences bringing prosperity to the village, together with the forest.

In 1812 what was left of the medieval Royal Forest of Delamere ceased to be the property of the crown by Act of Parliament and although the crown retained some property, some was reserved to be administered by what became the Forestry Commission and the rest was allocated to private owners, which resulted in the expansion of villages such as Kelsall.

This brought trade to local inns and increased pressure on Turnpike Trustees to go ahead with their long awaited scheme to bypass the Coach Road in Kelsall, and link up with the Hartford Turnpike at the top of Kelsall Hill where the Toll Bar cottages now stand. The Globe stood at the point where the old Coach Road met the new Chester Road. An ideal location for a coaching inn as transport and travel expanded in the 19th century.

If we skip forward to the 20th century, The Globe had a part to play in the preparations for the Second World War. On Monday 4th September 1939 soldiers of the 347 Field Regiment of the Territorial Army arrived in the village on double decker buses from Liverpool. They were billeted in the village and their conditions were spartan.

Until the cookhouse was organised, bully beef sandwiches and tea, served and consumed in a field, was the staple diet. No wonder very good use was made of the Chippodrome next to the Globe which was the Battery HQ and stores. By 1943 and through 1944 the Regiment was fighting its way through Burma as part of the 14th Army, and it suffered heavy casualties.

The Globe was always at the heart of the village and, in the first half of the 20th century, was surrounded by many of Kelsall's 20 shops. Harold Hockenhull's book shows the Post Office in Rushton House, with the large butcher's shop and slaughter-house next door. The Kelsall Chippodrome was strategically next to the pub.

The Quarry Café and Stores were located where Sable Cottage stands now. The Misses Sherwood sold candles and haberdashery where Holmes pharmacy is today. The Gables, now a Hair and Beauty Salon, housed a general store and later a post office. Older maps show a large smithy there. Where the Village Co-op Store now stands there was a grocer, a clock-repairer, a cobbler and a greengrocer - and later a large workshop.

Throughout its long history the pub has had many landlords, and from the 19th century better licensing records and the census have made them easier to track.

Of the many landlords who have run the Globe probably the most colourful and still well remembered is Brian "Rusty" Williams, the licensee from 1977-89, who renamed it The Morris Dancer in 1980.

"Rusty" was an innovative builder who renovated the premises installing old beams in the extended bar. In 1979, he brought the annual Cheshire Folk Festival to Kelsall, reverting back to the classic traditions that once surrounded Inns; and we can still enjoy these happenings at the annual Spring Bank Holiday Event in Kelsall.

Rusty was followed by a landlady, Angela Padial 1989-92, who with her partner Luis Lopez introduced Kelsall to a Tapas Bar named Chikito. Even greater changes came when Australian/Italian entrepreneur Vito Cecchini and his wife Kathleen (1995-2001) arrived and converted the old hay-barn into an Italian restaurant known as Paparazzi. The new owners changed the name of the pub to "The Olive Tree" until, in 2006, the name "Morris Dancer" was reinstated.

Before long it changed again and in 2011 it became the "Lord Binning" to the consternation of many in the community. Who was Lord Binning? Well it is the courtesy title of the eldest son of the Earl of Haddington whose ancestral home is Mellestain Hall near Kelso in the Scottish Borders. So far there have been 14 Earls of Haddington, and only the 11th Earl had a connection with this area of Cheshire because his wife inherited the Arden Estates in Tarporley, which are now incorporated into Portal Golf Club. The Earl outlived his son and heir Lord Binning, who may have spent some time in Cheshire, but was certainly more familiar with Kelso in Scotland!

We at Brunning and Price were thrilled when it came onto the market and were vindicated in our ambitions to own it by the many tip offs we received from locals pointing us in its direction. We thought its positioning in the centre of the village made it prime location to be restored as the heart of the community and we hope you agree that it makes a lovely welcoming pub (rather than a pizzeria or tapas bar!). So welcome back The Morris Dancer!

Huge thanks to Anne O'Donnell (Editor of the Kadras Magazine), Sue Masterman and the late John Forster for providing us with this information and the lovely pictures that accompany it.

If you'd like to put a name to a face, allow us to introduce you to the crew...


Front of house

Stephanie

Manager

Steph joined the Morris Dancer in May 2021 having been in the industry for a good number of years and hasn't looked back since. Steph is from Kelsall so is the local face behind the bar. In her spare time Steph spends her time with her two boys, her fiancé Mike and not forgetting their black lab, Toby.

Jasmine

Deputy Manager

Jaz has been here with us since May 2023 - but she is no stranger to the Morris Dancer - having originally helped us with the opening, back in 2018. If she's not flying around the restaurant with that lovely smile, she's probably half way up a mountain, hiking solo in the middle of Wales somewhere. She loves to challenge herself, inside and outside of work, running marathons and taking trips abroad to explore new treks and footpaths. She's a real local home bird, but loves a break away to a party destination to blow off some steam!

Paul

Deputy Manager

Our token southerner! Paul moved up north from the Fox Revived (Surrey) to the Morris Dancer in Cheshire right back when we first opened. Paul is a true cellar expert, and when he isn't serving on the bar or keeping the locals entertained, you can find him hard at work in our cellar; making sure the beers are of the highest quality to serve to our lovely customers.

Toby

Senior Deputy Manager

Toby is an island lad having being born and bred in Anglesey. His sense of people, social, beer, food and wine have, fortunately, brought him to us at the the Morris Dancer. Having previously worked at the Dinorben Arms, Toby is a true Brunning and Price enthusiast, and knows exactly how to make you feel at home.

Anna

Assistant Manager

Anna has been around since pretty much the beginning and is such a smily face in the pub. The ultimate organiser, she's generally picking up after us and the notes we leave around the office. Anna is a superstar, and is destined for a bright future.

Scott

Assistant Manager

Scott joins us after nearly 10 years at our sister pub, Glasfryn. Known for being super smiley, Scott is the perfect host and you can't help but laugh at his witty humour. Scott is partial to a glass of red wine (or three) and you'll usually find him buzzing around the floor on those busy Sunday's in the pub!

Nicholas

Assistant Manager

Nick has been in the pub game for over 17 years but has recently joined us after a stint working in a salad factory. Were really excited to have someone of Nick's experience and love for all things beer, food and great customer service joining us here at the Morris Dancer. In his spare time Nick loves a long bike ride, preferable one that takes him to one of the many castles we have in the area and a good pub of course.

Rachel

Supervisor

Rach is just a pleasure to have as part of the team here at the Morris Dancer. Always smiling, Rach is a favourite of a lot of the customers we have here. She has been in the industry for many years, starting out as a chef due to her love of cooking. Rach has even been on the operations side of things in sales in a previous life. In her spare time she loves going on long walks with her dog and loves a game of tennis as well as getting back to her roots and cooking lovely food. We are so happy to have Rach here with us.

Kirsti

Supervisor

Kirsti 'Garden Room' Foulkes, has been with us here for just over a year. Hence the name, you will see her exclusively in our garden room looking after all our customers to the highest standard. Kirsti has a young son Harry and when she's not here looking after all our customers, she's at home doing exactly the same thing for Harry minus all the tips of course.

Josh

Supervisor

You’ll usually find Josh behind the bar, although he does like to shake it up a bit. Outside of work, Josh is a gym and Liverpool football club fanatic. He isn’t a stranger to hospitality and has been in the industry 7 years! He is a local boy and knows most of your lovely friendly faces in the village. We hope Josh will continue to work with us and make us laugh for the foreseeable.


Kitchen

Gary

Head Chef

Gary's been with us here at the Morris Dancer for almost two years now, starting life as a sous chef before taking over the reigns as head chef from 'Gaz' who made the move back to the Glasfryn. Gary is a man so laid back, he's almost horizontal. A lover of fine food's he really brings that passion to the fore with his dishes on the menu. Gary is a great leader in the kitchen and we hope he will be with us for many, many more years to come.

Val

Chef

Val has been with us here at the Morris Dancer for over 5 years. He started out as a KP before moving up to becoming a chef. In a previous life, Val was an export manager in his native Romania. When he moved his family over to the UK and to Kelsall, he was working in a care home before joining us here in 2018. In his spare time Val is a keen woodworker and enjoys spending time with his family. He is a joy to have in the place and we hope he stays with us here for many more years.

Richie

Chef de Partie

Richie has been with us here at the Morris Dancer since the beginning. However he was also in the original Morris Dancer pub as a barman followed by the assistant manager from 1998-2002. He then went on to run his own pub in 2005. In his spare time Richie likes to spend time with his family and relax and enjoy the downtime, and leave the stresses of the kitchen behind. Richie is great to have about the place and hope he is around for a long time.


Maintenance

Dot

Cleaner

Dotty! Our organised, shopaholic, walk-a-holic cleaner! Dot is a huge reason as to why our pub is always sparkling, not to mention a warm face welcoming us to our morning shifts. Dot loves a black americano and she goes speed walking after work. Dot... can we be like you when we're grown up please?!