A Northumberland country pub is celebrating its thirteenth consecutive year on a "prestigious" list of the UK's best gastropubs.
Since The Rat Inn in Anick was taken over by Karen Errington and Phil Mason in 2007 it has been featured in the Michelin Guide and recommended by Harden's. And it is now considered part of the "old guard" for the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, which it first entered at number 41 in 2011.
Voted for by industry experts including food writers, chefs and other gastropub owners, the awards ceremony took place at this year's runner-up, The Unruly Pig, on Monday January 23. ChronicleLive caught up with co-owner Karen Errington just after she and Phil had made the six-hour journey back from the ceremony at the Suffolk pub.
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Karen said: "It's amazing because it is a most prestigious list and we have been on it for quite a long time. There's usually quite a bit of movement on the list, places go out, and there are great new places open so just to remain open is really good.
"And it's really good for business, people read about it and it's a good start to your year. It gives you a nice boost in January and we get a lot of bookings off it, so that's all positive."
This year's entry is the first time in eight years that the Rat has been outside of the top 20, but Karen isn't too worried. She said: "To get within that 50 is the achievement really with the standard of the places on there, I'd genuinely send a customer to any of those pubs and I know they'd have a nice time and I know they'd be looked after and get a certain standard of food."
Despite the January boost that being included on the list again has given the already popular Rat, Karen and Phil are not immune from the cost of living crisis. Karen continued: "It hasn't been an easy time but thankfully people are still coming out, January's been better than we expected and the weekends are really strong.
"But everything has gone up in price, the overheads have gone up and obviously our prices have had to go up too and as much as we don't like that, we've had to pass on some of those costs to our customers. With the current financial situation, lots of pubs are closing and the only way to stay open is to make sure you've got the prices right because if you haven't, you won't be here very long."
Lastly, Karen admitted her surprise that the Rat is the only pub in England's most northerly county to make it onto the list once again, saying: "Well, there are loads of great places in Northumberland and there are a lot of nice restaurants up here.
"But some of these wouldn't come under the gastropub umbrella if you like, such as The Beaumont Hotel in Hexham or the likes of Pine and Hjem, and we're well served for restaurants nearby in Newcastle. It seems strange that there's only one pub in Northumberland in because typically the North East would be known as a pubby area."
Though it can be difficult for her to visit as other similar pubs have the same days off as The Rat, Monday and Tuesday, Karen listed the Feathers Inn, Dipton Mill and the Lord Crewe Arms as some of her favourites nearby.
The Rat's entry on the list read: "Overlooking the stunning Tyne Valley, the Rat Inn based near the historic town of Hexham is one of the greatest and longest-serving pubs on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list. Menu highlights have included slow-cooked belly pork with chestnut and chorizo stew; red mullet with fennel, broccoli and crab bisque; and home-made Scotch eggs with kimchi.
"This is an outstanding countryside pub that exudes character and a significant amount of talent in the kitchen. Truly a stunning pub, filled to the brim with personality, love and character, this is one to visit."
The only other representation for the North East was the Broad Chare on Newcastle's Quayside, which placed at 44th. A post on its Facebook page read: "We’re humbled that our little pub has again been included in Estrella Damm's list of the Top 50 gastropubs, it puts us in some outstanding company.
Huge congratulations to our good friends at The Rat Inn who have also been included again, although we think there must have been a mix-up with the numbers - not that we’re competitive."
To read the full list of Estrella Damm's 50 Gastropubs, click here. For more information on The Rat or to book a table, visit The Rat's website.
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