My Pub: the White Bull, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire

The traditional family-run pub has fast become a destination site and even securing a spot in the Michelin Guide​ in November 2022.

Success has bred success and the chance to go multiple was realised in April 2023 with the opening of the Britannia Tap & Grill nearby.

In this My Pub​​ feature, chef-proprietor Sean Forshaw tells The Morning Advertiser​ more about the White Bull.

The pub​

We opened the White Bull at Oswaldtwistle, in March 2022. When we took over it was a run-down, boarded up pub.

We saw so much potential to create a new and interesting premium dining concept due to the area having very few destination establishments.

We wanted to start bringing customers into the area from far and wide being based on the outskirts of Oswaldtwistle town in the county of Lancashire.

The pub is very traditional looking on the outside while, upon entering, the style of the pub is modern with character. We spend a lot of time with the designers when redesigning the pub. We wanted to have a premium feel to the pub and restaurant without taking away any homeliness or warmth.

The restaurant side has a beautiful traditional open log fire. All the tables are set with a simple but effective napkin, starter and main cutlery with a good-quality fine wine glass.

Fine artwork fills the walls that have been made by local artists with fresh flowers and candles on all the tables. In the evening, the place really becomes something special. Lights are dimmed and candles are lit. Becoming a very personal restaurant to dine in, not forgetting the bar area.

We are not just known for our food and drink offerings. In our bar, we have board games for families and children to play, alongside books and magazines.

We stick to the roots of what a pub stands for – a public house. Everyone is welcome to create memories with ourselves and their families and friends. 

In November 2022, we got placed in the Michelin Guide​. Something that came as a big surprise to us and we won the Best Newcomer title in our local Hyndburn Business Awards 2023.

The publicans​

Myself, Sean Forshaw, being the chef-proprietor run the pub alongside my partner of seven years, Erika Kuti.

I have been in the industry for over 25 years and thought it was the right time to open my own place. We live in Oswaldtwistle and when the pub came up for a new tenancy, we discussed the potential and what we could offer.

The trade​

We are a rural, premium gastropub, we price ourselves to suit most of the folk in the area.

You could come in and have a sandwich and fries with a pint for under £15 or go for a more extravagant choice for £35.

Where we are located, we like to think is in the beating heart of the area. We want as many of our locals to come in and feel they can do so with confidence. However, the finer side of our menu brings people from all over to have an experience with us. We are a food-led pub with a drinks list to boot.

The team​

We have a small and loyal team with a few employees who have been with us since the very beginning.

The team is led by our company food & beverage manager Callam Hartley. Callam has worked alongside me for 10 years over a multiple number of sites, first starting as my food runner when I was sous chef at a site called Hearth of the Ram, Ramsbottom, Bury, back in 2014.

Then we both joined the team at the Eagle & Child Ramsbottom, Bury, until joining me as my general manager when opening the White Bull in 2022.

We have a total of nine front-of-house staff and five kitchen staff, not including myself and Erika who are rotared on working alongside the team. Seven of the team members have been with us since the beginning.

We have a restaurant and bar supervisor, and just promoted Cara who has worked with us from the start to trainee supervisor. She has just started her supervisory course with a local college and is already thriving and embracing the new challenge. We are proud of all our team as we have only achieved our vision because of them.

The drink​

Our drinks range we are very proud of, Callam has worked up to Level 3 WSET in wines and spirits. He has created a list that appeals from the novice wine drinker to wine enthusiasts.

Each employee has been wine trained in-house with all basics covered about the wines and how to serve correctly and professionally without being too formal.

We offer a very relaxed style of food service whilst still remaining professional and focusing on attention to detail. We see no reason to change this when it comes to our drinks offering and we also offer fine wines by the glass using our Coravin. This allows customers to try wines they don't usually get to, by the glass and at an affordable price to go alongside food or as a wine flight.

Our draught range includes Amstel, Cruzcampo, Poretti, Staropraman, Neck Oil, Brixton Pale Ale, Aspall Berries & Cherries, Old Mout and Guinness. Not including two ever-changing local cask ales and a still cider on tap.

The food​

We try to keep food at the White Bull new and innovative each week. The main menu changes daily to the delight of our frequent customers alongside weekly specials.

We try to focus on the main element of the dish and the rest of the components on the dish are not just for flair, they are all on the plate for balance and to enhance the flavour of the main element of the dish.

Our simple things done well menu hosts all our homemade pub classics. From cheese & onion pie to burgers and fish & chips. Each dish is made by the kitchen team, all fresh from local suppliers.

The events​

We host A5 Japanese wagyu nights. These nights are a big success. Our butcher has connections to a farm in Japan that breeds award-winning wagyu beef.

We sell the steak at £95, which includes three sides. This event is not for money making for us. To have this same steak in the city you are talking £180-plus for the experience.

We just want to offer something to locals who would not really have the opportunity to try “the best steak in the world”. The memories that are created are just as valuable.

The future​

In March 2023, we opened our second pub in the area – the Britannia Tap & Grill – and transformed it into a premium grill. We invested a lot of money in the cooking equipment and a dry-aging unit to create a unique end product for the consumer.

Our focus for the future is maintaining our high standards at the White Bull and improving some of the garden facilities while developing the Britannia and making that another destination pub for the area.