Kentish Express Ashford & District
Gastropubs make best in UK shortlist
Brewery delighted as village inns are chosen
mmilehamchappell@thekmgroup. co.uk Two local pubs have been voted among the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs.
The Compasses I nn in Crundale and the Kings Head in Wye – both Shepherd Neame pubs – have been included in the Estrella Damm Gastropub Awards shortlist for 2017.
Nigel Bunting, Shepherd Neame’s director of retail and tenanted operations said: “We are delighted that our pubs continue to receive recognition at a national level for the high quality of their food and service.”
The list is decided by votes from industry experts including top chefs and food writers.
A presentation will take place on January 30 when each pub’s ranking will be revealed.
Husband and wife team Rob and Donna Taylor took on the Compasses Inn in 2013.
Donna looks after front-ofhouse while Rob is head chef. His food has already received a host of accolades, including Kent Life Food and Drink Awards Winner 2015 and entries in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2015 and Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide 2015.
He got through to the semifinals of the 2016 National Chef of the Year Competition, and the pub won Tenanted Pub of the Year in the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards 2016. Firsttime licensees Scott Richardson and Mark Lightford have been running the Kings Head since 2012 and have transformed the business into a popular and stylish destination. They have become particularly renowned for their excellent food, most recently being named as a finalist for the Kent Dining Pub of the Year category in the Taste of Kent Awards 2016, and winning the Restaurant of the Year award in the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards 2016.