Cream of pub food industry celebrated
Owners and chefs from some of the industry's best gastropubs gathered at the Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, London, for PubChef's Top 30 Gastropub Award 2008.
The 100 guests enjoyed a menu devised by the Paradise's head chef Tim Payne, who was executive chef for Marco Pierre White for seven years and appeared on ITV's Hell's Kitchen last year.
The awards were presented by Morning Advertiser editor Andrew Pring and PubChef editor Jo Bruce.
Andrew and Jacquie Pern's Michelin-starred Star Inn, at Harome, North Yorkshire, was named the UK's best gastropub, with Tom and Beth Kerridge's Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire in second place, last year's winner the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo, London was third and the Olive Branch at Clipsham, Rutland, fourth.
The Top 30 Gastropubs 2008 were voted for by 400 industry experts including gastropub operators themselves, food writers, pub guide editors and top chefs.
The Hand & Flowers also scooped the Chef's Choice Award 2008, which was voted for by the chefs in the voting panel including Rick Stein, Mark Saergent, Michel Roux, Raymond Blanc and John Campbell.
The Princess Victoria at Shepherds's Bush, London, was named Newcomer of the Year 2008 and the Inn on the Hill, at Haselmere, Surrey, won the Addlestones People's Choice Awards, voted for by consumers.
For a full list of the pubs making the Top 30 visit www.top30gastropubs.co.uk. The awards were sponsored by Addlestones, Falcon Foodservice, Williams Refrigeration and Ballymaloe Country Relish.
