The Oakfield tipped to be in top 10% globally by Trip Advisor #Blog
Victoria Hayes
19th August 2020
Taste Cheshire member THE OAKFIELD is located at the very heart Chester Zoo, in the beautiful building which was once the home of founder George Mottershead. This week it has been ranked in the top 10% of the world’s restaurants by users of Trip Advisor. 
The Oakfield has received a 2020 Travellers’ Choice Award, based on customer feedback submitted through the world’s largest travel feedback website.
The pub only opened two years ago following the careful refurbishment of the Grade II listed house and the accolade comes as no surprise to the Taste Cheshire team having seen just how many nominations they received from the General public for the annual Taste Cheshire awards (this year sadly postponed due to Covid 19).
George and his family moved to The Oakfield in 1931 to begin building what is now the UK’s most visited zoo.
The building has also previously been used as a tea room and an aquarium, and joyously celebrates the zoo’s rich heritage with visitors able to relax in the Mottershead’s former library or enjoy a meal in the rooms which were once part of the family home.
Simon Lockhart, Chester Zoo’s food and beverage general manager, said: “The Oakfield has only been open for two years, so to gain such a major accolade in this short space of time is a brilliant achievement. And what makes this award all the more special to us is that it’s based entirely on real opinions and genuine, honest feedback from our guests.
“The Trip Advisor team analyses thousands of reviews and ratings from travellers everywhere before handing out this honour – that’s why it means such an awful lot.
“I’m so proud of the team’s hard work and dedication to make our pub such an exceptional place for our guests. The Oakfield has retained the original details of the house to give it a real ‘home from home’ feeling, with precious family photos showing what the zoo was like at the very beginning. 
“Rooted in history, it’s the real centrepiece of the zoo, where guests relax outside on the terrace and admire the beautiful grounds, or cosy up in front of the fire and enjoy the best freshly-prepared, locally-sourced food.
“The award has really given us a boost during what is a really challenging time for the zoo. The pandemic, and our long period of closure, has pushed our wonderful charity to the brink, but we’re so glad to have again been able to open our doors and continue to provide our guests with a fantastic dining experience with a difference.”
All of the revenue generated by The Oakfield supports the zoo’s crucial conservation work to protect endangered species from extinction, and is a vital source of income for the charity zoo in its battle to protect its future.
Launched back in June, the zoo’s well documented ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign continues to appeal for public support after almost three months of lockdown created a £5m hole in the charity’s finances, pushing it to the brink of extinction.
We are so proud to work with all the team at the Zoo and especially The Oakfield and offer our warmest congratulations on this wonderful achievement.