ONE of Britain’s oldest pubs celebrated its 374th birthday as the venue’s owner pledged his ‘total commitment’ to the Knutsford economy.

The Rose N Crown Public House opened for business in Knutsford In 1641 and was acquired in 2013 by the Mooney family, who also own The Belle Epoque, one of Knutsford’s most renowned restaurants.

Now some 374 years after opening its doors to the people of Knutsford, the venue celebrated its birthday with a night of great British food and fascinating history.

Hosting the event, which took place on November 19, was Manchester chef Robert Owen Brown, who built his reputation around gutsy northern cooking in many of Manchester’s best restaurants.

Matthew Mooney, managing director of the Rose N Crown Chop House – as it is now known – said he was ‘passionate’ about keeping everything local.

Matthew said: “We don’t buy any meat that’s not sourced within the north west.

“We’re totally committed to the local economy and that’s from the staff we employ right from top to bottom. To be honest it’s the only way we know how to do things.

“It’s something we’re passionate about, it’s not just a marketing exercise, for us it is about the real deal.”

This proud claim was reflected in the chop house’s birthday bash, with all of the night’s produce locally sourced.

Choosing Robert to cook up the night’s feast also added to the Rose N Crown’s new mantra.

Robert is renowned as a pioneer of local sourcing and foraging, and the talented chef also offered some fascinating insights into the dishes diners feasted upon.

Speaking prior to the event, Robert said: “The culinary history of the north west and particularly Manchester and Cheshire is awash with colourful characters.”

Matthew said his overall aim was to provide customers the same high-quality, locally sourced food they would expect to find in The Belle Epoque, but in a far more relaxed atmosphere.

Renovation works have certainly helped create a warm, friendly atmosphere, with Antler light fittings – sourced from Tatton Park deer – immediately standing out.

And with years of experience in the hospitality trade, Matthew is supremely confident he and his staff can make the Rose N Crown Chop House a roaring success.

He said: “We’ve got a good experienced team behind us. It’s what we do, we entertain for a living.

“It’s in our blood. We enjoy it, and if we didn’t enjoy it I would be very nervous.”