Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred Hinds Head in Bray has been awarded the Great British Pub of the Year for food.
Home of the original triple-cooked chip and birthplace of the runny Scotch egg, the Hinds Head has become a destination pub for diners across the world.
Under the watchful eye of Head Chef Edoardo Brambilla, the pub’s menu has evolved to offer a set of exceptional dishes, including superlative versions of Great British Classics such as pea and ham soup, devils on horseback or fish and triple-cooked chips, as well as some culinary surprises, notably the beguilingly wobbly quaking pudding and the luxuriously indulgent chocolate wine slush with millionaire shortbread. There’s even a selection of niftily nostalgic bar snacks given a Heston twist, from pickled quails’ eggs and salt and long pepper peanuts, to an untraditional take on pork scratchings.
Heston Blumenthal OBE said: “I love a great British Pub – robust, comforting food, good beer, wood panelling, an open fire – and I am extremely proud that the Hinds Head has been recognised as exactly that. It is particularly special to be named as the best pub in Britain for food. We have long championed British produce and tried to showcase just how good British traditional cuisine can be. In the Hinds Head kitchens we have perfected some truly iconic dishes, including oxtail & kidney pudding and the triple-cooked chip. This amazing award is a testament to all the hard work the team puts in, both in the kitchen and front of house.”
He added: “We’ve looked at every aspect of every dish to make it as good as it can possibly be, from the beautiful ooziness of the egg in our Scotch egg – which no one had done before – to the delicious crispiness of our fish batter and the rich smoothness of our mash. Even our pub snacks are inventive, fun and totally tasty.”
Head Chef Edoardo Brambilla said: “I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to win this award. The Hinds Head menu reflects the best of Britain, from our traditional Sunday roast to the strawberry Eton mess and everything in between. For us, fresh British produce is the star of the show, and we will continue to create exciting dishes and revisit, reinvent and revitalise the great British classics.”
(Image © Copyright Len Williams and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.)
