The Suffolk site was named number one gastropub on Monday 27 January at the glittering ceremony, which was held at Plaisterers’ Hall in London.
The Unruly Pig has been run by Brendan Padfield and chef-patron Dave Wall since 2015. This was the third time the award-winning gastropub had taken the number one slot after topping the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list in 2024 and 2022, coming a long way since it joined the list as a newcomer in 2017.
Topping the list was unexpected, Padfield told audience members after it was announced.
He said: “Honestly, we did not see this coming. You may say that’s ridiculous but the direction of travel was only one direction [from number one].
“It is an extraordinary privilege and honour. Thank you to all of the wonderful team at the Unruly Pig.
“When Dave Wall was mad enough to take it on [with] somebody who knew nothing about hospitality 10 years ago, I asked him to make us one of the best pubs in Suffolk.
“What he, Karl (Green – head chef) and Jackie (Ha – general manager) and all the team have done is make us one of the best pubs in the UK.“
Heartiest congratulations
At the event, Padfield also congratulated all who had made it onto the 2025 list.
He added: “Thank you so much to those of you who voted for us. I know this is an easy thing to say but it is the truth, all we want is to be a part of this list and everyone here is a part of this list so heartiest congratulations to everyone, well done.”
Following the announcement, The Morning Advertiser (MA) spoke with the pub owner to find out how it felt to be named the best gastropub in the UK for the third time.
We didn’t see this coming, we really didn’t.
Padfield told The MA: “It’s extraordinary. People always say ‘well that can’t be right because you were number one last year’.
“For goodness sake, we didn’t expect to get this again, for the third year. We’ve had a great run at this but for all those lovely people who voted for us, thank you so much from the whole team. It feels extraordinary.”
The accolade meant a lot to the business, Padfield outlined, and reiterated that he didn’t expect to top the list again.
“These are prestigious awards, they make a difference to our business. To get to number one again, there’s Dave Wall (my business partner and chef-patron) weeping his head off, god bless him [as well as] Karl [Green], our wonderful head chef and that says everything,” he said.
“This award matters and it matters to us hugely, even though we won it before. It’s an honour and privilege to have it again, we didn’t see this coming, we really didn’t.”
High standards
When it came to discussing the secrets behind the gastropub’s success, the Unruly Pig owner partially put it down to a constant pushing of standards across the business,
Padfield added: “I wish I knew! Kind and generous people look upon us better than we look upon ourselves.
“Some of it is due to the high standards Dave and Karl set themselves. We’ve been on a journey of increasing our standards deliberately over the years and their strategy has worked, their care has worked and the attention has worked, somehow.
“My message would be, honestly, if we can do it, anyone can.”
He advised other gastropub operators to continue their offer and showcase their business, regardless of where they are on the list.
Padfield added: “My advice to others, if they are not at the position they want, don’t worry about that. Just to have the logo on your website will make a difference.
If we can do it, anyone can.
“Don’t be disappointed. This can be a volatile list. We dropped out [of the top 50] for two years and came back.
“Keep going, keep doing what you’re good at, keep plodding along, enjoy the journey, have some standards and you’ll get there.”
- To visit the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, click here.
