A Buckinghamshire pub has been named one of the best venues in the South East - and is set to compete for the the title of National Pub and Bar of the Year.
The Nags Head in Great Missenden fought off stiff competition to be crowned, along with seven other venues, one of the best in the South East - and the best in Bucks.
The accolade means they have been shortlisted for the title of National Pub and Bar of the Year.
The South East England venues have been included in a list of 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who have scooped up a prestigious County Winner title as part of the 2022 National Pub & Bar Awards.
The pubs, which have been selected on overall best practice across a number of operational categories, will be officially crowned at a red carpet celebration in London in June, where 15 regional winners will also be announced, as well as the esteemed accolade – the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.
“Just from being out in these venues, you can see how much pubs and bars mean to people across the UK,” said Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which hosts the event.
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“With visitor numbers increasing, it’s more important than ever for operators to deliver a standout service during every visit – no matter the business in question.
"These 94 county winners are wonderful examples of the brilliance of today’s modern on-trade."
What is it about The Nags Head that has impressed people?
The country pub, in London Road, dates back to the 15th century. You can either stay overnight in one of their rooms, enjoy a meal or simply visit for a drink.
The pub's head chef, Tomas Topolar, is award-winning and has worked at other well-respected local restaurants The Mash Inn in Radnage and Gilbey's in Old Amersham.
The pub has an AA rosette for culinary excellence and is rated an AA silver 4-star inn.
It offers impressive dishes like Creedy carver duck leg doughnut, hoisin and pickled celery (£9.95), Chiltern Venison rump, morels, celeriac, truffle and liver dumpling (£27.95) and white chocolate mousse, raspberry gel, goji berry and cashew nut granola (£7.95).
It also does a separate Sunday lunch menu and prides itself on offering mostly local ales and beers and spirits from top micro-breweries and companies like Griffiths Brothers gin in Penn Street, Campfire gin from Tring and Malt the brewery in Prestwood.
What do the reviews say?
The Nags Head is a firm favourite with locals and tourists who visit to hike the Chiltern Hills.
It has 4.5 out of 5 from 402 Google reviews.
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One said: "Beautiful, historic building, and a spacious and comfortable room. The pub and dinner were truly exceptional, and the staff were uniformly lovely. Highly recommended."
Another added: "A lovely pub with a really nice ‘feel’ to it. We went for Sunday lunch and the food was amazing! From the starters to the puddings, it was all incredibly tasty and probably one of the nicest roast pork dinners we’ve had! Very friendly staff and excellent service."
The others named in the best in the South East list are:
- The Hartley Arms, Newbury, Berkshire
- The Joker, East Sussex
- The Cricketers Inn, Curdridge (Hampshire)
- The Tiger Inn, Kent
- The Angel Inn, Petworth (West Sussex)
- The Horseshoes, Oxfordshire
- Cricketers on The Green, Pirbright (Surrey)
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