Wine Pub of the Year 2008: the Butcher's Hook, Fulham, London

The Butcher's Hook, a pub on the Fulham Road directly opposite Chelsea Football Club, puts wine at the heart of what it does.

Gus Evans and his team provide customers with a creative and interesting wine offer.

The wine list is easy to understand and avoids over-expensive wines and the worthy tomes seen in many establishments these days.

Food and wine matches are presented in an appealing manner, and staff are well versed in explaining these offers to customers.

The food menu contains at least six wine matching suggestions at any one time.

Having a relatively small list of 60 wines makes it easier for staff to understand the whole list.

Gus manages to get the best out of staff and suppliers, who work hard to find wines outside the mainstream, to get to know the pub and its customers and find wines appropriate for the venue. Suppliers, which include Coe Vintners, Les Caves de Pyrene, Liberty Wines and Bibendum, offer promotions to incentivise and encourage staff.

Again, this helps staff to feel motivated and confident about wine.

The business recruits people with a passion for food and wine, who can bring that passion to the customer's table, encouraging trial and experimentation.

Gus attends wine shows and makes a point of keeping himself and staff up to date with wine trends, so that the list can be updated and refreshed.

Staff training involves visits to trade shows, tastings and briefings with suppliers. When a new list is introduced, as is the case seasonally, a more in-depth training programme is held.

Supervisors and managers at the pub are trained by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and this is paid for by the pub. All front-of-house staff receive and take part in briefings before each shift, at which the head chef describes each dish on the menu and wine matches are discussed.

The wine list itself is both focused and imaginative. Laid out over two pages, wines are divided into categories, such as Aromatics and Oyster Specials, or Meditation Wines.

Blackboards are regularly updated with staff recommendations or food and wine matches.

More than half the list is offered by the glass or by the jug as well as by the bottle. Magnums are available in some cases for bigger groups.

Wines are attractively displayed on shelves and in refrigerators behind the bar, allowing customers to see bottles clearly and to create additional interest. Some boutique wines come in unusually-shaped bottles, creating talking points.

Gus and his team are constantly talking to customers, not only to find out what their tastes are but to recommend wines and then discuss the suggested wines and food matches.

Gus has had the Butcher's Hook lease for almost four years, and he says customers who have been with him from day one still read the wine list, rather than just ordering a favourite.

His knack of keeping customers interested and excited in this way is why the Butcher's Hook deserves to be the Wine Pub of the Year.