Nottingham pub wins Best Roast Dinner 2015 competition
The Moleface Pubs site in West Bridgford saw off competition from 440 other entrants to win, impressing judges that included prominent food critic Charles Campion.
Amelia Balmer, general manager at the pub, said: “We’re very proud - we’re quite well known around Nottingham but we’re looking forward to this bringing in more people from around the country which would be brilliant.
Fundamental
She said dedication to fresh, local produce and good relationships with suppliers had been fundamental to the pub’s win.
Larwood & Voce GM:
It's just years of experience - our chefs have been with us a long time
“We’ve got a really good partnership with our butchers,” she added. “Our MD has had a relationship with them for about 20 years and we’ve used them since we opened. We know they always give us the best quality.
“Also our homemade gravy we’re well known for. It’s made with different meat juices, red wine and high quality chicken stock. And we roast our potatoes in goose fat, which makes them extra crispy. It’s just years of experience – our chefs have been with us a long time.”
The pub also offers a “swap shop” – by which locals who own allotments can bring in their produce and exchange it for a voucher to be used in the pub.
Finalists
The Larwood & Voce was one of five shortlisted finalists alongside the Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd, the Duke of Wellington, Surrey, the Crown Inn, Herefordshire and restaurant Kyloe, Edinburgh.
Judges said they were impressed by the Larwood & Voce’s high degree of local sourcing, which included using pork from its own rare breed pigs, making its own condiments and baking its own bread.
Standards
Chris Brown, channel category manager at competition sponsor Unilever Food Solutions, said: “Standards were exceptionally high across the board and to choose between the five finalists was an extremely close call, but Larwood & Voce just had the edge over the rest.
“Not only does it offer perfectly cooked food in a welcoming pub setting, there are plenty of innovative touches too, such as the option to buy a takeaway roast dinner or bring in your own veg in exchange for a free pint.”
Last year, the award was taken by London pub the Truscott Arms, which came tenth in this year's Top 50 Gastropubs.
