A Cornish seafood restaurant has been crowned the best in Britain after toppling the previous champion’s five years at the top.
Good Food Guide
The annual food directory, Good Food Guide, placed Nathan Outlaw, a restaurant named after its chef owner, above L’Enclume of Cumbria, ending its winning streak.
The restaurant located in Port Isaac leads the likes of traditional favourites The Fat Duck, run by Heston Blumenthal, and The Ritz, which continue to feature in the list of the top 50 restaurants in the UK.
The Good Food Guide is published by Waitrose and began ranking the UK’s best restaurants in 1951. Each year, the guide receives thousands of recommendations by the public, which it whittles down to a list. Inspectors for the Guide are then sent to these restaurants, posing as normal customers, to rate their experience.
The Secrets of Success
Outlaw attributes the success of the restaurant to the tireless efforts of his restaurant team. The 39-year-old launched the restaurant in 2007. It has been awarded two Michelin stars, and it first made the Good Food Guide in 2009, debuting at number 11.
Perhaps this is an indication of the rise in popularity of fish and shellfish in cuisine, which has long been praised for its health benefits in our diet.
The Best of the Rest
Despite falling to number two, L’Enclume has maintained its perfect score of 10. The restaurant is located in the picturesque village of Cartmel in the Lake District and is run by Chef Simon Rogan.
The London restaurant Pollen Street Social, Nottinghamshire restaurant Sat Bains, and Berkshire restaurant The Fat Duck each scored 9, and came in third, fourth and fifth places respectively.
In contrast, a tiny restaurant called Stark, in Broadstairs, Kent, has gained popularity. The restaurant is so tight on space that it is unable to house toilet facilities; instead, diners use the local pub’s lavatory.
Ben Crittenden, Stark’s chef, has been awarded “Chef to Watch” in the Guide. “Chef of the Year” was awarded to Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. He serves cuisine at Bristol restaurant Casamia, which was listed tenth in the Guide.
