The editors of The Good Food Guide are delighted to recognise the following restaurants and chefs for their talent and commitment to excellence
Chef of the Year
Pam Brunton
Inver
Strachur, Argyll & Bute
Although perfectly attuned to the Scottish context and natural larder on her doorstep, chef Pam Brunton is adept at weaving in wider geographic or historic influences with a high level of ambition and individuality. One diner observed of Inver that “the whole atmosphere is superb from the beautiful setting to the pitch perfect service - however the food remains the star of the show, pulsating with pops of flavour and pristine natural ingredients.”
Chef to Watch
Will Devlin
The Small Holding
Kilndown, Kent
With a number of young chefs cooking to such a high standard, the Chef to Watch award was a tough judging assignment this year. But, ultimately, Will Devlin won our hearts. The limited menu choice may require you to put your faith in Will’s cooking skills - but what cooking! His is a simple formula: an instinctive feel for food, a refreshing down-to-earth approach with the emphasis on seasonality and quality - ingredients are grown in the restaurant’s own small holding or sourced locally.
Restaurant of the Year
The Mash Inn
Radnage, Buckinghamshire
This grown-up pub dishes up a daily four-course menu or ten-course taster, where ‘pretty much everything is exposed to naked flames or burning charcoal’, resulting in dishes that feel fresh but not slavishly fashionable. Often using ingredients from the kitchen garden, highlights from the menu include darkly blistered chapa flatbread with clean, aerated romanesco and green apple soup, simple just-pulled radishes with hay mayo, and a memorable Côte Du Boeuf with silky, umami-rich sesame miso sauce.
Best New Entry, UK
The Woodsman
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
A smart-casual place with an urban vibe that suits this ancient building, with its impressive timbered frontage dating from the 17th century. Passion for quality runs through every aspect, a welcome beacon of hospitality in Shakespeare’s birthplace.
Best New Entry, London
Peg
Hackney
Offering selected three course options for less than £30, this newcomer from the team behind Bright, ‘looks like it’s come straight from the pages of a style magazine. The tableware is pastel - sunny yellow, baby pink, vibrant coral - the menu’s a retro pegboard and the counters are terrazzo, fashioned from recycled yoghurt pots’. Serving small, Japanese inspired plates.
Sustainability Champion
Douglas McMaster
This year, in a time of ever increasing interest in sustainability and the environment, the editors have acknowledged a Sustainability Champion. In recognition of his tremendous work in this field, Douglas McMaster of Silo has been chosen to receive this accolade. His work at Silo Brighton, opening later this year in Hackney’s Crate Brewery, is utterly pioneering.
