A pub located only 90 minutes from Bristol has been labelled the 'best in the country' in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022.
The Cotley Inn, situated in Blackdown Hills, Wambrook, has been hailed for its offer of refined British cuisine and comfort food. It has previously received numerous awards such as from 'Taste of the West' Gold award and has made it into the top 50 UK gastropubs.
Its newest accolade has officially listed The Cotley Inn as VisitEngland’s 'pub of the year', named as its gold winner. Judges wrote: "Fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers are picked just a few steps away in the kitchen garden, and meat and game are sourced directly from The Cotley Estate.
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"Book in for a long lunch or gourmet dinner with fabulous views of the Somerset countryside. Well-behaved dogs and muddy boots are always welcome, too."
The pub has long prided itself on locally-sourced food. Its menu consists of pub classics such as battered haddock to more upscale dishes such as chargrilled Cotley estate Venison and wild garlic gnocchi.
Originally a farmhouse, the historic building has been dated back to the 17th century, with the rural Somerset pub evolved over the years, as a modern and stylish pub. Open every Wednesday to Sunday, the pub is a 25-minute drive to the Jurassic Coast and is accessible to breathtaking nature walks in and around the Somerset countryside.
Owners Maddie and Ben, who worked in the Canadian Rockies prior to returning to their home area of the Blackdown Hills, were highly influenced by North American hospitality and aimed to display customer service to a similar degree in the quaint village pub. In an interview with SomersetLive, Maddie and Ben said: “We want to share our passion for The Great British pub with all our guests.
"It is our pleasure to serve our immediate locals and wider community and we are always so excited to welcome those from a little further afield. We work from the principle that all our visitors are dinner party guests in our own home, and we strive to achieve exemplary service in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
"We are committed to serving very local, seasonal food and strive to source all our ingredients within 25 miles of the pub.” The Acorn Inn in Dorset took silver in the awards, while The Devonshire Arms in Pilsley, Derbyshire, earned bronze.
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