Publication Name: The Cricketers Ormskirk
Senior Executives: Licensed: David Speak, Executive Chef: Tom Wells, Head Chef Karl Quirante
Business model: wholly-owned, pub and food-focused restaurant.
Wet/Dry Split: 60:40
Address: 24 Chapel Street, Ormskirk, L39 4QF
Website: https://www. thecricketers-ormskirk. co. uk/
Karl Quirante won Best Young Chef at the Great British Pub Awards in October last year under the direction of head chef and co-owner Tom Wells.
Here, licensee David Speak tells all about The Morning Advertiser and encourages visitors to take a look at the memorabilia around the walls while offering a desirable insight into the history of the town, county and, of course, its cricket clubs.
The Cricketers is a food-focused pub and eating venue founded on the outskirts of the West Lancashire town of Ormskirk, offering a modern, welcoming atmosphere to a wide range of customers.
The Cricketers, which originally dates back to the early 20th century, was a rainy place in traditional style, with a small bar, a cozy space, and a space for games.
In the early 2000s it underwent a primary renovation, which saw its length doubled and the upstairs suites converted into a dining venue and an extension housing a vital kitchen and dining room.
In a nod to our cricket roots (the pub is located just around the corner from the Ormskirk Cricket Club, hence the name), we’ve created 3 themed pub spaces.
The light and airy conservatory extension is known as ‘Pavilion’, we have the traditional bar area complete with log burner and then a classy upstairs dining area called ‘The Club lounge’, which is often utilised as a large private dining area for special occasions.
Dotted throughout the venue are framed Ormskirk Cricket Club photographs from the past 100 years, collated for us very kindly by the now sadly deceased Ormskirk Cricket Club supporter and local historian, Ken Lea.
Running a pub will have to be in my blood. My grandfather had a fantastic pub, Warners, in Accrington, Lancashire. Having worked in the industry before and during my time at Newcastle University, I worked in pubs.
I made a brief foray into some other industry in a graduate checkpoint post after college, but was temporarily drawn to the control of advertising.
My uncle had a stall across the Channel: the Ship at Lathom, a pub near Ormskirk where he worked. Soon enough, he bought Cricketers, which I installed and ran for six years before the opportunity presented itself to buy it in 2018. (just in time for Covid fun).
Co-owner and current executive chef Tom Wells ran the kitchen as we temporarily established ourselves as a quality pub and restaurant, as well as a community component.
Despite a transient reinvention at a tapas-eating spot called O’Este in 2013, I arrived in Ormskirk and oversaw a new renovation as we returned to our roots in terms of name, but reimagined and reimagined, the Cricketers. This time, the Cricketers, although essentially a pub, also aimed to showcase the local cuisine.
Over the past decade, we have developed relationships with a variety of local manufacturers and suppliers. Current favourites include Scott’s Butchers’ Ormskirk (which recently celebrated 100 years in business), award-winning butcher Farrells of Mawdsley, and sourdough experts. Lagom Bakery.
Tom has been running the kitchen and overseeing this operation since 2013. She has 20 years of experience in kitchens and there is little she doesn’t know.
One of Tom’s greatest skills, his ability to create creative and engaging dishes, has been the progression of his emerging skill. The evidence is: 4 chefs who worked under him and who now run successful kitchens in the region.
Then there is the current head chef, Karl Quirante, who recently made us all proud when he won the award for Best Young Pub Chef of the Year. Born in the Philippines, but raised in West Lancashire, Karl has developed an absolute fondness for cooking with a whole group. Mastering the balance of Asian flavors in artistic specialty dishes while expertly showcasing local ingredients and more classic dishes.
This has allowed Karl to develop, under Tom’s tutelage, from commis chef to his current role in just four years. Both Tom and Karl are fully engaged with our customer base and know the importance of creating dishes which both appeal and inspire.
We have a long serving, hard-working, yet endlessly positive front of house team, who know the importance of both a warm welcome, and an attentive service for the customer.
At its heart, like all “royal” pubs, is a classic and cosy bar, where you can sit and enjoy a stylish pint from one of our 4 handpulls, which trade the most productive beers on offer from a wide diversity of the north. – Western breweries, such as the fantastic Neptune in Maghull, or Reedley Hallows, in East Lancashire.
There are also fine wines ranging from a beautiful easy drinking Garnacha to a scrumptious Chateauneuf du Pape. Or you can make a selection from our range of fine malts.
Currently, we are updating our assortment of alcohol-free and low-alcohol products, as we have noticed a significant increase in this market. One of the existing favorites is our Grapefruit, Pumpkin Spice and Thyme Non-Alcoholic Daquiri. Delicious, tasty and eminently drinkable.
Our aim throughout the food and drink side is to continually improve our offer, responding positively to changing trends, while always keeping our principles of high quality and inventive at the forefront of our plans.
Lightly breaded haddock tacos, tartar sauce, dressed leaves, crispy capers and lemon – £9. 50
Sticky pork pancakes, Vietnamese-spiced pork jus, pickled vegetables, coriander, sriracha aioli, fresh chilli and peanut salad – £10
Cricketers’ bang bang roasted cauliflower, sticky chilli sauce, pomegranate, sesame, candied peanuts – £9
Cake of the Day, Buttered Seasonal Vegetables, Hand-Cut and Twice-Bake Fries: £18. 50
Braised Goosnargh Chicken, Spicy Pumpkin Puree, Shredded Oriental Potato Cake, Karage Chicken Thigh, Buttered Vegetables, Thai Broth – £19. 50
Chestnut goulash, sautéed peppers, potatoes, rich paprika sauce and stewed rice – £15
Classic Sticky Caramel Pudding, Salted Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream – £7. 50
Coconut Pineapple Crème Brûlée, Coconut Butter Biscuits, Highly Spiced Pineapple – £7. 50
Affogata, vanilla ice cream, crushed amaretti biscuits and toasted almonds – £8.25
While classics, like our fish and chips, are booming, the kitchen team has also created less familiar pub dishes, such as the now unanimously popular Vietnamese pork pancakes. A take on the more familiar Chinese-style duck pancakes, this highly spiced, braised local pork, shredded and served with a variety of pickled Asian vegetables and a highly spiced chili garlic aioli, hits the spot with the best combination of highly spicy, savory, and sweet flavors.
Dining occasions have also helped raise the profile of cricketers as a go-to place for dinner in the region.
Our monthly “supper club” allows our kitchen team to create an exclusive three-course themed menu on the last Thursday night of the month.
A place to eat for open-mindeds, no upfront menu is provided, with only a rough theme and priced at £25. These are incredibly popular sold-out events. Customers love the wonder and variety of the dishes on offer, while for the kitchen team it’s a real outlet for their creativity.
Our goal, since our inception, has been to become a true member of the community. As well as offering the best place to spend an afternoon or evening, we also seek to help the city of Ormskirk grow and develop. This leads us to hold normal meetings for local businesses, as well as play a key role in organising events for the city.
We are working with Ormskirk Cricket Club to expand the Ormskirk Beer Wine Festival
In recent years, we have collaborated with other hotel companies founded in Ormskirk and developed the Ormskirk Moor Street Night Market, which allows us to attract a large number of people from Ormskirk and the surrounding towns to the city centre for a street party. the last Friday of the spring/summer month.
With a dozen stalls (often one run by our own Karl, offering Asian street food), a level featuring local bands and musicians, as well as a gin, cocktail and real beer bar, the occasion aims to attract more people. to the city and breathe life into the nightlife economy.
It has been very well earned and is supported by the city council, which has helped the city centre apply for and download a licence, allowing it to organise many more events in the long term.
There is no doubt that we are going through a difficult economic climate and that the hospitality sector is under a lot of pressure.
We’ve noticed high-profile closures as application fees skyrocket for many and it turns out that endless price increases have squeezed margins. But for me, and I’m sure for many operators, our pubs and restaurants are not just a job.
Many team members and I put our heart and soul into our rooms. The feeling of satisfaction of seeing a position thrive is indescribable and adds value to a community.
Many in the industry are lately campaigning to reduce the VAT rate and for the government to increase its rate for the industry. There are strong arguments that this will not only save a number of sites, making a significant contribution to the economy, but will also inspire expansion and investment in the sector.
My and Tom’s dream is to continue to expand cricketers and then emulate that good fortune elsewhere. Despite the challenges, there is no shortage of this sector, it is the hobby and determination of those who have chosen a career in hospitality.
Our good luck over the last 10 years with the Cricketers is proof of that and will likely continue for a long time.