The Pointer in the Buckinghamshire village of Brill has been named as the pub of the year in the Michelin Eating Out In Pubs guide 2018.
The freehouse has its own butcher and is set on a 240-acre farm where owners David and Fiona Howden raise cattle and pigs.
Rebecca Burr, editor of the Michelin Eating Out in Pubs guide, said: “Not only is it a delightful place, but it is exceedingly well run by a young, personable team. They really pay attention to detail and nothing is ever too much trouble for them.”
The guide lists 470 pubs, 27 of which are new entries.
Burr said: “This year we have seen many ailing pubs being scrubbed up and re-opened with the emphasis more on food, which has given them a new lease of life. It’s great to see pubs being brought back to life this way as they are often the heartbeat of towns and villages.”
These include Mr Hanbury’s Mason Arms in South Leigh, The Churchill Arms in Paxford, The Howard Arms situated in Ilmington, The Mash Inn in Radnage and The Bottle & Glass in Binfield Heath.
The Michelin Eating Out In Pubs guide also includes 15 pubs awarded a Michelin Star. These include the Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna, which was the first pub in Ireland to be awarded a Star.
Burr said: “We are absolutely delighted to award a Michelin Star to an Irish pub and such a hardworking chef.”
Following in the footsteps of the Hand and Flowers – the only Michelin Two Star pub – Tom Kerridge’s The Coach in Marlow has also been awarded a Michelin Star. It is no carbon copy of its bigger sister though, with its less-structured menu and no-bookings policy.
Thirty-five pubs this year have been awarded a Bib Gourmand for ‘good quality, good value cooking’. New ‘Bibs’ this year include: The Hope & Anchor, South Ferriby; The Green Man, Howe Street; The Hadleigh Ram, Hadleigh; Plaquemine Lock, Islington; Staith House, North Shields; the Hare & Hounds, Aberthin; and Morrissey’s, Doonbeg.
Burr added: “It’s been a joy seeing chefs returning home to open pubs. Tom Watts-Jones trained in London before moving back to his home town of Aberthin and buying the pub where he had his first pint. Brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, who own several London restaurants, chose their native Essex as the location of their first pub.”
