The Plough, listed in the Estrella Top 100 UK Gastropubs
The Editor
Following on from The Plough, Wombleton’s recent inclusion in The Michelin Guide for the first time, (read the full story in the latest edition of Yorkshire Businesswoman magazine, online now) the couple behind the North Yorkshire Inn is pleased to announce that they have been included in Estrella Damm’s list of the UK’s Top 100 Gastropubs.
The Inn’s owners, Richard and Lindsey Johns are thrilled to have been included in the prestigious list for the second consecutive year, ranking at number 85. The annual awards now in their 17th year, are designed to showcase the very best pubs and pub food in Great Britain. Each year the rankings are compiled using hundreds of votes from food critics and writers, gastropub chefs and other food influencers.
The highly experienced duo took over the reins at The Plough in late 2023, and ever since they have built solid foundations for the quality of both their seasonally inspired food and their exemplary hospitality, which has been recognised by the likes of The Good Food Guide and The Michelin Guide.
When it comes to The Plough’s food, chef and co-owner Richard Johns makes a point of cooking with fresh seasonal produce from across the north of England, that way he can ensure that every dish he personally cooks in the kitchen for every single diner that visits delivers quality and flavour across the board in his innovative and exciting a la carte menu, which is brim full of familiar favourite dishes with intriguing and exciting twists.
Unlike many chefs Richard cooks for every guest that dines at The Plough, he is the only member of the brigade, which means that he’s able to offer an unrivalled dining experience that is both highly personal and very unique - providing a level of service you would ordinarily expect from a private chef cooking in your own home - but in this instance to every diner at The Plough.
Meanwhile, every dish Richard crafts is seamlessly delivered to diners by his wife Lindsey who expertly leads her small front-of-house team, to deliver exemplary service, thereby ensuring that both the Inn’s regulars and restaurant diners alike want for nothing during their visit.
Richard & Lindsey commented: ‘’We’ve had a rollercoaster couple of months with inclusion in The Michelin Guide and now the Estrella Top 100 Gastropubs list – it’s fantastic for us and the village, helping to put it on Yorkshire’s food map. All we try to do is ensure that our guests can enjoy great food, comfortable surroundings, exemplary service, and warm Yorkshire hospitality. Awards like the Estrella Top 100 Gastropub Awards mean a great deal to the recipients because you’re voted for by your peers across the country, which means it’s a really good way of bench-marking what you’re doing and an indicator that what you are doing hits the spot and helps you build on the momentum.’’
