Michelin names The Greyhound on the Test its Pub of the Year 2014
The pub, which was singled out for its all-round hospitable approach, re-opened under new management in March with over £200k spent on the refurbishment of the 500-year-old building; seven bedrooms individually designed, a new bar area re-installed downstairs and head chef Alan Haughie brought in to revamp the food offering.
It joins the likes of the Gunton Arms in Norfolk, The Pipe and Glass Inn in Yorkshire and The Hinds Head in Bray in holding the Pub of the Year title.
Having purchased The Greyhound on the Test last year with two business partners, owner Lucy Townsend said: “It is a huge honour to receive this award and to see the Michelin guide recognise the importance of pubs to local communities.
"We are thrilled with the success of the pub since opening and look forward to more exciting things in 2014."
Rigorous inspections
Burr, who welcomed the growing number of pubs serving good quality food, added: "This 600 year old pub has loads of character. Lucy is very involved in the day-to-day running of the pub and her cheerful nature rubs off on her young staff; the food is great and the bedrooms are charming.”
The Guide's editor, who also oversees the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland, said reports of the death of the Great British pub had been 'grossly exaggerated' and thriving good food pubs could now be found in all parts of the country.
"We now recommend more pubs than ever before and the great news is that they are spread all over Great Britain and Ireland, rather than just being concentrated in a few counties," she said.
“No one has to put up with bad food in a pub anymore, however picturesque that pub may be. The pubs in our guide have been rigorously inspected by our team of full-time inspectors – the same team who produce the Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland – and highlight the fact that pubs serving good food are thriving."
Gastropub
Like the editor of the Good Food Guide, Burr also said she would like to see the end of the term 'gastropub'.
“Many of the establishments in this guide are traditional pubs playing a big part in the local community, complete with quiz nights and themed evenings. A pub doesn’t need a modern makeover to serve good food, nor does it need to transform itself into a restaurant," she said.
“Chefs looking to open their own place without having to spend huge amounts of money are also finding pubs to be the perfect choice. And with such skills in the kitchen, these pubs in turn are becoming great training schools for the next generation of chefs.”
Tom Kerridge
The guide is released as Tom Kerridge, chef-patron of Marlow's two Michelin-starred pub The Hand and Flowers, reveals plans to open a second 'low-key' pub in the town.
The chef told Restaurant magazine he would be starting the search for a new site early next year where he intended to create a genuine community food pub that was accessible to all.
"I'd want it to be a simple affair," he said. "My target is to be the first pub to win a Michelin star with Sky Sports on the telly."
This year's Eating Out in Pubs Guide 2014, available from today at £13.99, recommends 570 pubs in all, 70 of which are new entries.
