Top 50

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs were recently announced with three Ribble Valley names featuring in the top 10!

Leading the Lancashire pack at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards was the Freemasons at Wiswell, which retains its third position in the listings.

Delighted chef patron, Steve Smith, said: “Lancashire has proved once again it’s a force to be reckoned with. We work tirelessly to offer customers an unforgettable experience when they visit the Freemasons, and results like this show we’re getting it right. I’m really proud of the team and look forward to celebrating with customers in the coming weeks!”

Estrella Damm says of the Freemasons: “Food at the Freemasons is all about contrast – experimental meeting traditional. Smith fuses locally sourced ingredients and his love of the classics with wild, sharp world flavours. In the hands of a lesser chef it could so easily go wrong, but Smith pulls it off with professionalism and gusto.”

The Parker’s Arms at Newton-in-Bowland rose from 16th place to an incredible seventh at this year’s event. The pub’s meteoric rise up the listings has been nothing short of remarkable: “No mean feat,” says Estrella Damm.

Describing the pub and its talented chef, Stosie Madi, it adds: “Though blessed with glorious countryside, people flock to the area to sample the skilfully cooked food that comes from Madi’s kitchen.”

Placed at number nine is the Michelin-starred White Swan at Fence, which rose 10 places from last year’s 19th position.

Describing chef Tom Parker, Estrella Damm says: “We’ve had the pleasure of meeting Parker on several occasions and can confirm he is a bundle of energy and foodie intellect.”

It adds: “We’ve been to the gastropub several times and we fell in love with dishes including the tomato consommé with gnocchi – a supercharged bowl of savoury summer goodness.”

Named as the Highest Climber in this year’s list was the Angel Inn at Hetton near Skipton. Placed 11th, the Michelin-starred inn, headed by chef Michael Wignall, has rocketed up the Top 50 from 50th spot last year.

Speaking at the awards ceremony James Healey, UK Manager for Estrella Damm, said: “This is the fifth year that we have sponsored the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards, an awards ceremony that celebrates high calibre ingredients, culinary excellence and innovation, qualities that are also shared by Estrella Damm.

“We want to extend our congratulations to all 50 gastropubs on the list and hope more pub-goers are lucky enough to experience their talent in 2020.”

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards are voted for by top foodies and hospitality experts. These include gastropub operators, food writers, catering development managers and executive chefs, celebrity and top hospitality industry chefs, pub guide editors, industry chiefs and food operators. As a result, the voting criteria ensures the list is decided by leading industry experts.

top50gastropubs.com

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