The pair were presented with the prestigious award by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge of the two Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers and Coach, Marlow, at an exclusive lunch and awards at the Hermitage Road Bar and Restaurant in Hitchin on 25 January.
Since opening the Kentish Hare, the pair have gained critical acclaim and drawn much interest from food writers and the public.
Maintaining a ‘pubby feel’
As a result of their restaurant background - the two formerly ran Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth - the duo were conscious of creating and maintaining a very ‘pubby’ feel.
There were also two runners up in the category; including Dominic Chapman’s the Beehive in White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire and James Lean’s Port Gaverne Hotel in Port Isaac, Cornwall.
Judges of the category were David Hancock, managing director of Inn Places and Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor of the Good Food Guide.
PMA food editor Nicholas Robinson said: “This was a tough category for the judges as there are so many new and great gastropubs cropping up across the country.
‘Standout pub’
“The competition was stiff, but the Tanner brothers’ Kentish Hare is a standout pub, which has also come in at number 33 on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list 2016.”
Sample dishes at the Kentish Hare include pork fritter, grilled baby gem, veal jus, anchovy and celery cress (£7.50); poached fillet of hake, tarka dal, carrot puree, cockle popcorn and coconut (£16.95); and lemon sole, brown shrimp butter, purple sprouting broccoli and almonds (£19.95).
To see who made this year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list and who won the specialist category awards, visit www.top50gastropubs.com.
Top 50 Gastropubs 2016 was sponsored by headline sponsor Estrella Damm in association with Nestlé Chef, Appletiser and Schweppes and Berkmann Wine Cellars