Each year the Good Food Guide announces its Editors' Awards in recognition of those restaurants and chefs who have shown excellence in their field and exceptional talent.
In 2019, we've added two extra awards, Best New Entry in London and Best for Sustainability
Chef of the Year
Gareth Ward
Ynyshir
Powys
The winner of our 2015 Chef to Watch has justified our faith in him; his restaurant Ynyshir in Powys has climbed seven places to No. 5 in our Top 50. Guide Editor, Elizabeth Carter says: ‘I was as impressed by the sheer enthusiasm and skill as by the fiercely seasonal Welsh produce which Gareth Ward’s industrious kitchen bakes, pickles, ferments, cures and bottles. He delivers flavour in small punchy bites. Eighteen courses later, I predict you’ll be in complete agreement that this is one of our most brilliant, innovative chefs’.
Chef to Watch
Alex Bond
Alchemilla
Nottingham
Alchemilla was one of our biggest (and best) surprises this year. It was the energy, confidence and passion coming from the kitchen that grabbed our attention, a first solo venture from a former Sat Bains chef. Alex Bond’s ambitious but unstuffy restaurant is a hive of activity that shifts the spotlight from meat to plant-based cooking. By using creative techniques to put something unique and delicious in front of diners, Alex shows a perfect understanding of the way we want to eat now.’
Restaurant of the Year
A. Wong
Victoria, London
‘This is Chinese food like you’ve never eaten before', says GFG Editor Elizabeth Carter. 'Andrew Wong has redefined the notion of Chinese cooking in London, planting the cuisine - or rather, cuisines - solidly in this century with a revelatory menu that shows the rich variety of the country’s regions. With impeccable sourcing taking in the likes of wagyu beef and Isle of Mull scallops, it’s a game changer that’s beyond good. Service is an utter delight, too.’
Best New Entry, UK
The Moorcock
Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
On one level, The Moorcock is an unassuming moorland boozer: there are local ales on tap, and bar food is scrawled on a blackboard. But it is so much more. That bar menu might include Dover sole or lobster, and food in the must-book restaurant marries localism, foraging and fermentation with an enthusiasm for cooking over fire. With its gentle price tag, locals would probably like to keep this place under the radar, but the secret is out on one of the more thrilling openings this year.
Best New Entry, London
Cornerstone
Hackney Wick
Tom Brown’s risky move to Hackney Wick, an area not known for its food scene, has paid off and won all our hearts. Tom’s winning way with seafood brilliantly acknowledges his mentor Nathan Outlaw, yet allows him to put his own unique stamp on cooking that is helping to push modern British dining forward.
Best for Sustainability
Angela's
Margate, Kent
The restaurant’s formula of ‘impeccable sourcing, minimised waste and pared-back cooking has proved a triumph’. The kitchen team works with the local community to reduce the amount of waste they produce that might otherwise end up in landfill. Partnering with the Windmill Community Gardens in Margate, they use their own composting machine to turn food waste into compost to produce more raw and organic ingredients to use in the restaurant.
