Thurlby Group adds pub

Freehold the Lord Nelson in Oakham, Rutland, is the newest addition to the group and offers 100 covers across eight dining rooms.
The site has a strong focus on home-made stone-baked pizzas, which account for 40% of food sales.
Operations manager Ross Dykes said: “Our weekly covers are more than we originally thought. We are doing up to 100 meals a night.”
Dykes and executive chef Nick Buttress run the six sites under the Thurlby Group, which Michael Thurlby owns. All venues are freeholds. Buttress creates menus for the group and trains the company’s chefs.
Other dishes on the Lord Nelson menu include Ufford Ale meatballs in a chorizo-arrabbiata sauce with mozzarella cheese served with crusty bread and a crunchy leaf salad (£11.95).
The pub is focusing on a strong collection of real ales and fine wines with freshly cooked food.
Thurlby also owns three pub-restaurants with rooms with his sister. They are the Exeter Arms, the White Hart and the Crown, all in Stamford, Lincolnshire.