Pub Awards: Best Food Winner - The Freemasons at Wiswell

You can pop in for a quick lunch or an £80 tasting menu. Smith’s cooking is highly accomplished. Despite having won numerous awards, including sixth place in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs and being named the Good Food Guide’s top pub for dining in 2016, Smith and his wife and business partner, Agnieszka Tyczka (who won Best FOH Manager at this year’s Top 50 Gastropubs), are not content to rest.

Private

As well as plans to add a number of boutique hotel rooms to the pub, Smith aims to create a private dining venture called Mr Smiths at the back of the Freemason’s kitchen where private parties can host functions with bespoke tasting menus.

Events and functions are a focus for the business, with the pub hosting a broad variety of unique and recurring events, from wine tastings and supplier evenings to a very northern ‘Chippy Tea’, summer barbecues and even a ‘team celebration’ menu to say thank you to a valued member of staff for years of service. Smith has also grown the pub’s profile by launching a restaurant and pub consultancy this year.