Gastropubs from across England, Scotland and Wales will be represented on this year’s list, along with a wealth of Michelin-starred pubs.
Waitrose Food magazine editor and food critic William Sitwell will announce the pubs that have made it onto the list, as well as the winners of the two special awards categories – Front of House Team of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Sitwell will take to the stage at Andrew Pern’s York restaurant The Star Inn The City to reveal the list, following a three-course meal prepared by Pern’s team of chefs.
Pern’s Michelin-starred gastropub the Star Inn Harome topped the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub list last year, taking over from Kent pub the Sportsman, which took the spot in 2015 and 2016.
Top 50 Gastropubs
At the time of his 2017 win, Pern told The Morning Advertiser (MA), the organisation behind the Top 50 Gastropubs: “It's the third time we've been number one on the list and I've had my eye on it ever since we lost the top spot.
“The Star Inn Harome is my life and the food we serve is a reflection of the seasons, as well as the great produce found in Yorkshire.
“It’s such an honour to be crowned the number one gastropub in the UK.”
Top 50 Gastropubs editor and MA food and drink editor Nicholas Robinson said: “This year we’re moving the list reveal and awards up north to York.
“The list and the trade has evolved over the years, with a large proportion of featured pubs now coming from outside the south.
‘Number of amazing gastropubs’
“I wish all of the gastropubs on the list this year good luck, as well as the finalists in the specialist award categories. It is a vibrant and thriving industry. The number of amazing gastropubs in the UK has exploded, making the list extremely hard to compile every year.”
This year www.top50gastropubs.com will be revamped, with new features including ‘Find My Gastropub’, which will make it easier for users to find the best gastropubs close to them – both on and off the Top 50 list.
MA editor Ed Bedington said: “The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list highlights the great work and culinary importance of some of the most unique pubs in the UK.
“Each year the businesses mentioned on the list and entered-for awards benefit from an influx of customers, as well as a wealth of press coverage.
“Moving north to the beautiful city of York will bring a fresh new feel to the event, giving us the opportunity to make it bigger and better than ever.”
The finalists battling it out for the two prestigious specialist awards are:
Front of House Team of the Year:
- The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge, Suffolk
- The Miller of Mansfield, Reading
- The Cross Keys, Epperstone, Nottinghamshire
Newcomer of the Year:
- The Oxford Blue, Windsor, Berkshire
- The Blackbird, Ponteland, Tyne and Wear
- The Horseshoes, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs List is compiled through votes made by gastropub owners, chefs, food critics and other industry experts. The specialists awards are entered by the gastropubs and then judged by Top 50 Gastropubs judges.