Between March and May we asked you to nominate your favourite neighbourhood eatery for our Local Restaurant of the year competition. We were looking for the gems that fly under the critics’ radar, but occupy a special place in their diners’ hearts, the unsung heroes of the restaurant world that make you proud of your local area. We’ve certainly found them.
Over 30,000 of you got in touch with us, and today we are over the moon to share the winning restaurants with you.
And the winner is….
Wine & Brine, Moira, Co Armagh, Northern Ireland
Described by Consultant Editor Elizabeth Carter as ‘A role-model of its kind’ she continues ‘Chris McGowan’s relaxed town centre venue has a big heart, friendly, laid-back staff and generous cooking of fresh, seasonal and local ingredients at ridiculously reasonable prices. A hive of endeavour, it is no wonder that Wine & Brine has a huge and very vocal fan base. Every town should have a restaurant of this standard.’
Restaurant owners Chris and Davina McGowan told us ‘To say we are delighted by this accolade is a great understatement; we are positively ecstatic to be chosen as the overall UK winner. The Good Food Guide is so influential in the industry and as we are such a young business, it makes it all the more profound for us. It's also a testament to all our hard work over the years ahead of setting up Wine & Brine, which we always wanted to be a place where people wanted to come to eat and enjoy spending time with friends, family and business colleagues.’
As well as the overall winner we are also pleased to announce our 9 regional winners who are as follows:
London
Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria
Notting Hill
East England
The Duck Inn
Stanhoe
Midlands
The Jockey
Baughton
North East
Peace and Loaf
Newcastle
North West
Mrs Miller’s
Culgaith
Scotland
The Whitehouse
Lochaline
South East
The Compasses Inn
Crundale
South West
Wilks
Bristol
Wales
Sosban and the Old Butcher’s
Menai Bridge
Congratulations to all of our winners.
The criteria for a restaurant to be eligible for nomination were as follows:
- Are independently run
- Are owned by the chef or a hands-on proprietor
- Are committed to local produce in line with the seasons
- Can demonstrate a strong relationship with local suppliers
- Have a commitment to the local community
- Offer regularly changing menus at reasonable prices
- Are family friendly
- Give a genuine warm welcome
- And show a passion for delivering all of the above.
Discover more about The Good Food Guide's Best Local Restaurant Awards
