Star performers
PubChef reports on this year's winners of Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands
Two pubs in Kent and Oxfordshire have been awarded a coveted star in the Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2008.
The Sportsman at Seasalter, in Kent, achieved one star, while the Goose at Britwell Salome, Oxon, regained the star it lost in the 2007 guide. The Goose had a Michelin star for two years under former chef/patron Mike North who left in March 2006. According to Michelin one star indicates "a very good restaurant in its category".
Stars reflect "what's on the plate and only what's on the plate", meaning pubs and restaurants are judged only on the quality of their food. They are awarded according to the following criteria: the quality of ingredients, the skill in their preparation, the combination of flavours, the levels of creativity, the value for money and the consistency of culinary standards.
Two pubs were given "rising star" status in the guide, awarded to places tipped to be in line for a star. They are the Nut Tree in Murcott, Oxfordshire, and the Wheatsheaf in Bath, Somerset.
Two pubs lost their stars - the Greyhound in Stockbridge, Hampshire, and the Trouble House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Former Trouble House chef/owner Michael Bedford recently moved from the pub to open a deli called the Chef's Table in Tetbury.
Ten pubs achieved Bib Gourmands, which are awarded to restaurants offering "good quality cuisine at a maximum price of £28 in the UK (for a three-course meal excluding drinks)".
In total, 15 new one-star venues and 33 new Bib Gourmands were awarded in this year's guide. There are still seven Michelin-starred pubs in Britain.
Guide editor Derek Bulmer said: "Informal dining, greater use of locally-grown produce and seasonality are the trends evident in this year's guide.
"Customers are demanding more information about food provenance and sustainability, and chefs are responding by rediscovering local ingredients."
Rising Stars
The Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxfordshire
Chef Mike North and partner Imogen Young moved to the south Oxfordshire freehouse just over a year ago, from the Goose at Britwell Salome, where Michael held a Michelin star. He became one of the youngest chefs at 25 to be awarded a Michelin star.
The menu is sourced as locally as the back garden, where Mike grows his own veg and rears pigs. Dishes include Oxfordshire pork with salt and vinegar potatoes, celeriac purée and apple gravy (£16), and an olive oil-poached fillet of halibut with herb risotto (£18). The pub seats 60 covers and the average price of a three-course meal is £28.
The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Bath, Somerset
? thewheatsheafcomebehay.com
A bar/restaurant with letting bedrooms, the Wheatsheaf offers real ale, local cider and log fires along with an "unfussy" menu and European-based wine list.
Owner Ian Barton and chef Lee Evans preside over a food business that sources food locally, much of the produce coming from the pub's own kitchen gardens.
Among its best-selling dishes is pavé of turbot, braised gem lettuce, potato, celery, apple and cider sauce (£19.50). Other dishes include breast of Gressingham duck with creamed spring greens (£19.50), and sweet potato and courgette lasagne (£15.50).
New Bib Gourmand pubs
Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton, Beverley, East Yorkshire
? pipeandglass.co.uk
Freehouse run by hosts James MacKenzie, formerly of the Michelin-starred Star at Harome, and partner Kate Burroughs. The pair are hoping to add eight letting rooms during 2008.
Dishes include: hare, ham hock and foie gras terrine (£6.95); lamb and kidney casserole with rosemary dumpling and honey-roast carrots (£13.95).
Royal Oak, Paley Street, Berkshire
? royaloakpaleystreet.com
Chat show host Michael Parkinson's son Nick runs this Fuller's tenancy, and Dominic Chapman, formerly of Heston Blumenthal's Hinds Head, heads up the kitchen.
Dishes include: ox tongue with pickled cabbage and mustard (£7.50); salt beef stovey with a fried egg and mustard sauce (£11.95); and rhubarb trifle (£5.95).
Ginger Pig, Hove, East Sussex
? gingermanrestaurants.com
Gastropub run by husband and wife team, Ben and Pamela McKellar. The pair plan to open 11 letting rooms at the pub this year.
Dishes include: smoked duck, hazelnut and pear salad (£6); sautéed calves' liver with champ, crispy pancetta and sherry vinegar (£13); and treacle pudding with custard (£5).
Masons Arms, Swerford, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
? masons-arms.com
Chef Bill Leadbeater has trained under legendary chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.
Dishes include: salt 'n' pepper squid rings, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and bean sprout salad (£5.95); roast supreme of guinea fowl, bubble 'n' squeak, beetroot, red-wine jus (£13.95); and almond and polenta cake, raspberry compôte (£5.50).
Gin Trap Inn, Ringstead, Hunstanton, Norfolk
? gintrapinn.co.uk
The Gin Trap was taken over by Cindy Cook and Steve Knowles in 2006 and was AA Pub of the Year 2006/7.
Dishes include: roasted quail with pumpkin risotto and sage butter (£6.50); butter-poached monkfish with Alsace bacon, Toulouse sausage, fresh sage and cassoulet of beans (£16.20).
Druid Inn, Birchover, near Matlock, Derbyshire
? thedruidinn.co.uk
The Druid is operated by Sheffield-based Thyme Group, fronted by restaurateur Richard Smith. Michael and Bryan Thompson run the business and Michael is head chef.
Dishes include: crispy Bakewell black pudding, streaky bacon, brown-sauce onions, poached free-range egg; Druid Inn smoked-fish pie; rice pudding and home-made raspberry jam.
The White Bull, Ribchester, near Blackburn, Lancashire
? whitebullrib.co.uk
Enterprise Inns licensee Chris Bell lists his local suppliers on his website, including fresh vegetables from Ribchester allotments.
Dishes include: smoked mackerel pâté, cucumber, toast and rocket (£4.50); grilled plaice, parsley potatoes, fine beans, hollandaise sauce (£14); lemon and lime cheesecake (£4).
The Three Horseshoes, Radnage, near Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire
? thethreehorseshoes.net
Chef proprietor Simon Crawshaw has worked with culinary talents such as Michael Bourdin and Michel Roux.
Dishes include: seared scallops with chorizo sausage and celeriac purée (£7.50); rump of veal with lemon sauce, fondant potato and baby vegetables (£15.95); and iced griottine cherry parfait with cherry syrup (£5.75).
The Brown Dog, Barnes, Surrey
? thebrowndog.co.uk
Jamie Prudom, Alan Lempiere and Hilary Fairhust are behind this great gastropub.
Dishes include: salad of squab pigeon, Jerusalem artichokes and walnuts (£7.50); fillet of bream with vegetable spaghetti (£12.50); and damson-lined custard tart with beurre noisette ice cream (£5.50).
The Narrow, Limehouse, London
? gordonramsay.com
Gordon Ramsay's first pub, which opened nine months ago.
Dishes include: potted salt beef with pickles (£6); Kentish lamb stew with clapshot and baby carrots (£11); and Devonshire chocolate sponge and custard (£6).
The Goose, Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire
Owner: Freehouse
Background: Former Roux scholarship winner Matthew Tomkinson arrived at the Goose from Ockenden Manor, in Cuckfield, Sussex, to take his first head-chef role last January. Matthew faced an immediate challenge to win back the Michelin star. He says: "We are definitely ready for the star. Our ethos here is to buy well, but you have to match good food with good service."
On the menu: Classic cuisine based on seasonal fare, with game dishes a speciality.
Best-selling dish: Royal Balmoral venison, sarladaise potatoes, glazed chestnuts, buttered curly kale, sauce grand veneur (£21.50).
Covers per week: 2
