The Publican Food & Drink Awards - the shortlist!

The shortlisted finalists for The Publican Food & Drink Awards​ have been announced.

The finalists have been selected after much careful deliberaton and debate by The Publican​ team and our trade partners, and just getting this far represents a major achievement for the pubs, pubcos and individuals on the shortlist.

The next stage will see finalists asssesed by journalists from The Publican​, as well as our trade partners, before the overall winners are selected. The trade partners are Beautiful Beer, BII, Cask Marque, the Craft Guild of Chefs and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

A new event for 2008, The Publican Food and Drink Awards​ celebrate quality, innovation and customer service in both food and drink in pubs. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Battersea Evolution, London, on November 11, 2008.

The finalists in each category are:

Cask Ale Pub of the Yeaar

• The Bell Inn, Adderbury, Oxfordshire
• The Johnson Arms, Dunkirk, Nottingham
• The Hare & Hounds, Bury, Greater Manchester
• The Taps, Lytham, Lancashire

Speciality Beer Pub of the Year​

• The Dove Street Inn, Ipswich, Suffolk
• The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
• The White Horse, Parsons Green, London
• The Sausage Tree, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Wine Pub of the Year​

• The Inn @ West End, West End, Surrey
• The Angel Inn, Near Skipton, North Yorkshire
• The Butcher's Hook, Fulham, London
• The Red Lion, Market Harborough, Leicestershire

Spirits Pub of the Year​

• Benson Blakes Bar & Grill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
• The Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London
• The Great Eastern, Brighton, East Sussex
• Tooting Tram Shed, Tooting, London

Drinks Pub of the Year​

• The Horse & Plough, Bingham, Nottingham
• The White Horse, Parsons Green, London
• Fence Gate Inn, Burnley, Lancashire
• The Sun Hotel & Bar, Lancaster, Lancashire

Local Food Pub of the Year​

• The Countryman Inn, Shipley, West Sussex
• The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield, Northumberland
• White Hart Hotel, Wiveliscombe, Somerset
• The Norway Inn, Truro, Cornwall

Sunday Lunch Pub of the Year​

• The Fountain Inn at Clent, Clent, West Midlands
• The Royal Oak, Paley Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire
• The Ship, Wandsworth, London
• The Chaser Inn, Tonbridge, Kent

Classic Food Pub of the Year​

• Waggon & Horses, Halam, Nottinghamshire
• The Five Bells, Cullompton, Devon
• The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
• The Sandrock, Farnham, Surrey

Gastro Pub of the Year​

• Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, Yorkshire
• The Dog Inn, Grunisburgh, Suffolk
• The Bluebell, Henley in Arden, Warwickshire
• The Sands End Pub & Dining Room, Sands End, London

Food Pub of the Year​

• The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
• The Whitmore Arms, Orsett, Essex
• Thorverton Arms, Exeter, Devon
• The Norway Inn, Truro, Cornwall

Chef of the Year​

• Ashley McCarthy - Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, Yorkshire
• Dominic Chapman - The Royal Oak, Paley Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire
• David Perron - The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
• Richard Upton - The Three Fishes, Whalley, Lancashire

Front of House Team of the Year​

• Ye Olde Punchbowl Inn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
• Crown Inn, Broughshire, Yorkshire
• Baron of Beef, Bucknell, Shropshire
• The Whitmore Arms, Orsett, Essex

Back of House Team of the Year​

• Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, Yorkshire
• The White Horse, Bedford, Bedfordshire
• The Inn @ West End, West End, Surrey
• The Whitmore Arms, Orsett, Essex

Unsung Hero of the Year​

• David Wallace - The Inn @ West End, West End, Surrey
• Nick Tyler - Trengilly Wartha Inn, Falmouth, Cornwall
• David Pocock - The Punch Tavern, Blackfriars, London
• Sonia Hickman - The Olde Bull Inn, Barton Mills, Suffolk

HQ Drinks Champion of the Year​

• Sarah Halpin, Business Development Area Manager, Kurnia Intertrade
• Xenia Irwin, Wine Buyer, St Austell Brewery Co
• Stephen Martin, Beer and Cider Category Manager, Punch Taverns
• Elton Mouna, Retail Marketing Manager, Fuller, Smith & Turner

HQ Food Champion of the Year​

• Simon Howlett, Executive Chef, Fuller, Smith & Turner
• Paul Drye, Catering Development Manager, St Austell Brewery
• Darren Somerton, Operations Manager, Whiting and Hammond
• Robert Clayton, Executive Chef, Merchant Inns

Retail Drinks Concept of the year​

• Revolution by Inventive Leisure, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire
• The Living Room by The Living Room Group, Hale, Cheshire
• Smith & Jones by The Barracuda Group, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Retail Food Concept of the year​

• The Carvery concept by The Orchid Group, St Albans, Hertfordshire
• Ale & Pie House by Fuller, Smith & Turner, Chiswick, London
• Chef & Brewer by Spirit Group, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire
• Revolution by Inventive Leisure, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire

Drinks Pub Company of the Year​

• Brakspear Pub Company, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
• Peach Pub Company, Deddington, Oxfordshire
• Geronimo Inns, East Hill, London
• Barracuda Group, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Food Pub Company of the Year​

• St Austell Brewery, St Austell, Cornwall
• Whiting and Hammond, Tonbridge, Kent
• The Orchid Group, St Albans, Hertfordshire
• Peach Pub Company, Deddington, Oxfordshire