Three Cumbrian gastropubs have been named among the best in the UK.
Heft, based in High Newton, The Black Bull, based in Sedbergh, and The Dog and Gunn, based in Skelton, have all been included in the prestigious Estrella Damm list of then UK’s top 50 gastropubs.
Each year the list – now in its 16th year – ranks the UK’s best gastropubs according to votes from more than 400 owners, food critics, and other industry experts.
Heft have been included in the list for three years now and have jumped from ranking 42nd in the list last year to 11th this year.
Owned by Nicola and Kevin Tickle, the pair said it meant a lot to the venue to make the list once again.
Kevin added: “At Heft all we’ve ever done is try to make sure that we achieve a good balance between being a village pub with a really relaxed atmosphere, serving good beer, excellent wines and tasty snacks, alongside running a fine dining restaurant.
“It’s been a fairly interesting couple of years to open a pub and restaurant, but we’re getting to where we want to be, and this award recognises the hard work put in by us and by our amazing team.”
The Dog and Gunn Inn scooped the 33rd position on this year’s list – marking their second year running being named.
Owned by chef Ben Queen-Fryer, he said the team was delighted to have made the prestigious list for a second year.
Ed Bedington, founder of the awards and list said: ‘’Pubs are a beloved institution and part of the UK’s culture. They serve so many roles for so many people and for operators like the ones on our list, to be able to offer amazing food and wonderful experiences, up there with some of the best in fine dining, is brilliant to see.’’
The Black Bull, owned by Nina Matsunaga and James Ratcliffe, has also been named on the list for a second year in a row and ranked 39th on the list this year.
Co-owner James Ratcliffe said: ‘’Our aim is to ensure that our guests can enjoy great food, comfortable surroundings, exemplary service and warm Dales hospitality.
“Awards like the Estrella Top 50 Gastropub Awards mean a great deal to the recipients, because you are voted for by your peers across the country, which means it’s a really good way of benchmarking what you are doing and is an indicator that hopefully what you are doing is heading in the right direction.’’
