Stoke-on-Trent couple, Matthew and Jaki Hurst, are the newest licensees of a popular pub in a nearby town which has links to Sir Winston Churchill. 

Churchill is said to have given a speech on the balcony of the Swan Hotel in Sandbach, now called the Swan & Chequers. 

A giant mural of the former Prime Minister, complete with his famous words, "If you're going through hell, keep going", is painted on the courtyard's wall.

Matthew, who grew up in Hanley and Hartshill, attending Clayton High School before beginning a career in the sound and video industry, wants to bring a touch of Manchester's Northern Quarter to Sandbach.

A giant mural of Winston Churchill is painted on the courtyard's wall (Nub News).

"The pub is housed in a beautiful building and it's got such a lovely feel and ambience about it," said Matthew.

"We used to hold jazz afternoons at the Shrub Club which worked well and we're hoping to do the same here.

"We want people to know and understand it's not just a pub and to come here to to sample our food and eventually music.

"It would be lovely to bring a touch of the Northern Quarter to Sandbach. It's such a beautiful town and we have received a warm welcome."

Matthew, 40, and his wife Jaki, have brought many of their most popular drinks and food offerings from Derbyshire.

They mix fruits to make soft drinks and sherbets, some of which are use in the pub's extensive range of cocktails, such as strawberry and sage gin fizz.

This uses a strawberry and sage 'shrub' mixed with gin, lemon juice, strawberry syrup and a soda top.

The pub offers an extensive range of cocktails, including a strawberry and sage gin fizz (Nub News).

"It would be nice to bring a bit of the city centre to a small market town such as Sandbach," said Matthew, who is now living closer to his Stoke roots.

Matthew loves the history attached to the building which started off life as a corn exchange and of course its links to Churchill.

He said: "We found a photo in the staff room of people looking up to the balcony but we couldn't make out who was on the balcony. It was presumably Churchill."

In time, it seems Matthew and Jaki will be turning over new pages in the pub's history books.

READ MORE: Conservatives call for staff pay cuts to save Stoke-on-Trent City Council 

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