Hitting the headlines before the recent Michelin Guide for GB & Ireland was unveiled was the annual Good Food Guide awards in which The Sportsman, Kent, won Restaurant of the Year.
Following a change in structure, the awards no longer follow a simple ranking. For 2024 The Good Food Guide Awards 2024 presented a line up of restaurants leading in their field, alongside 39 restaurants voted either Exceptional or World Class. The main category winners were:
Best New Restaurant - Mountain, London. Thisnew restaurant from Tomos Parry was also awarded its first Michelin Star this week making it a successful 2024 already for the new establishment.
Restaurant of the Year - The Sportsman, Kent. This pub also featured in the recent Top 50 UK Gastropubs list placing fifth.
Best Front Row Seat - The Sea, The Sea Chef's Table, London
Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant - Our Farm, Cumbria
Chef to Watch - James Carn, Lark, Suffolk
Discover the full list of award winners here. There were four restaurants that won the accolade of being World Class: L'Enclume, Cartmel; Moor Hall, Aughton; the aforementioned The Sportsman; and Ynyshir, Machynlleth. Alongside these there were 35 restaurants voted Exceptional, including CORE by Clare Smyth, Helene Darroze at The Connaught, Myse, Restaurant Gordon Ramsey and others.
Another recent award to be announced was the accolade of Squaremeal's UK's Best Restaurant, a title that went to Northumberland venue Pine, from Cal Byerley and partner Siân Buchan. The restaurant described itself on its website as being 'Set in an old cow barn, the restaurant offers an intimate setting where you can admire the sloping Northumberland landscape alongside Hadrians Wall or watch your evening meals be prepared by our team of dedicated chefs in our bespoke open kitchen.
'Enjoy the generous tasting menu using ingredients foraged from the Northumberland countryside or grown within our onsite kitchen garden which we serve Wednesday-Saturday evenings as well as a Saturday lunch service. We've aimed to reflect our surroundings and keep a warm, inviting, country feeling throughout.'