Top 50 Gastropubs
Who are the movers and shakers on the Top 50 Gastropubs list?
The Coach, Marlow (4th place)
Tom Kerridge’s second pub was almost inevitably going to make the list, but no one expected it to make quite the entry as it did. As a result, it won the Highest New Entry Award, which was sponsored by Appletiser and Schweppes.
The Coach’s elegantly-executed, yet simple concept of small, tapas-style plates and rotisserie chicken, along with a strict no-reservations policy to ensure accessibility must have struck a serious chord with the industry.
The Beehive, White Waltham (14TH place)
Dominic Chapman is no stranger to the stellar heights of gastropub dining, having worked at the Fat Duck and the Michelin-starred Royal Oak, Paley Street.
The hype surrounding his first solo venture, the Beehive, White Waltham, has remained strong since it opened and has only been bolstered by a string of high-profile TV appearances from the affable chef patron.
The Crown, Bray (25TH place)
Master of molecular gastronomy Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred pub the Hinds Head, Bray, came 14thin 2015 but mysteriously dropped off the list this year.
However his second pub, the Crown, shot into the list as if out of nowhere. The Crown is a more stripped back affair than its fine dining-inclined sister sites yet retains the impeccable quality of food and attention to detail associated with Blumenthal.
The Butchers Arms, Eldersfield (12th place)
It’s been a phenomenally successful year for James and Elizabeth Winter’s Gloucestershire free house.
As well as retaining its Michelin star for the fifth year in a row, it was named Pub of the Year by the guide and shot up from 34th to 12th place in Top 50 Gastropubs.
To see who made this year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list and who won the specialist category awards, visit www.top50gastropubs.com.
Top 50 Gastropubs 2016 was sponsored by headline sponsor Estrella Damm in association with Nestlé Chef, Appletiser and Schweppes and Berkmann Wine Cellars.
