Pub Awards: Best Food finalist - Compasses Inn, Crundale, Kent

Hops hang from ceiling beams, a minor detail, but one that hints at the traditional approach that husband and wife Rob and Donna Taylor bring to their business.

There are no bells and whistles – Rob’s honest cooking is seriously refined. He uses ingredients meticulously sourced that are utterly delicious. The couple may have only run the remote pub for three years, but they have turned it into a robust business and have plans to significantly grow trade by adding accommodation.

Praise

The pub has already won the adoration of high-profile critics including the Guardian’s Marina O’Loughlin and a variety of other awards including Shepherd Neame’s Tenanted Pub of the Year 2016 and recently the Good Food Guide’s South East Local Restaurant of the Year.

For drinks, the pub is tied to Shepherd Neame so expect to see a roster of the brewery’s Kentish ales and a concise but well-chosen wine list. With a wet:dry split of 20:80, booze isn’t really the focus at the Compasses, but the team does its best to make sure customers’ food and drink is matched.