National guide names its Cambridgeshire Dining Pub of the Year

The accolade, which naturally delighted chef/patron Marcus Lamb, comes, however, as the renowned pub and restaurant stands closed.

Marcus, who has owned the stunning thatched pub on the village green since 2005, decided not to reopen when the second covid pandemic lockdown ended on December2, leaving the county subject to Tier 2 restrictions.

Today he said: “I am obviously delighted, but it is all a bit strange as we are not even open to celebrate it. There was no way I could open under the current restrictions.

“It is great after such a terrible year to get a little buit of a Christmas present like this and I am looking forward to reopening again, I just do not know when that will be. The pub in January, maybe, but the restaurant probably not until the Spring. But when we do reopen I can guarantee we will be right back on it doing what we do best.”

Winner of the Northamptonshire Dining Pub of the Year award in the publication is The Falcon Inn at Fotheringhay, a serial award winner down the years. The guide describes it as an “Upmarket dining pub with a good range of drinks and modern British food.”

The pub and restaurant business was taken over by chef Zak Perrin and his partner Madison Keys, who runs front of house, exactly a year ago - so it proved a nice first anniversary present for them.

Today the happy couple said: “It’s very humbling to be winning such a prestigious award after just our first year of trading, and to be considered for the County Pub of The Year Award along side many other fine establishments across the UK.

“This year has posed many challenges, from finding our feet in our first business venture, to tackling adversities caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“This is for everybody who has supported us through our first year: our family, friends, our work colleagues, suppliers, and local businesses. Thank you all!

Meanwhile, a popular haunt for Peterborough food lovers, The Olive Branch in Clipsham, Rutland, was named the overall Good Pub Guide Pub of the Year, as well as the Leicestershire Dining Pub of the Year - as it too celebrates a special anniversary.

The Guide says: “To compete in the Pub of the Year category a pub has to have unanimous enthusiasm from all readers on all aspects of its business – it has to be top of its game and The Olive Branch is most definitely that. It’s a really special place for a drink, a meal or an overnight stay. It’s a perennially successful inn which attracts a deservedly loyal following from both near and far, and will celebrate its 21st anniversary on December 12.”

The Olive Branch is a small village pub in England’s smallest county. Three friends bought it in 1999 and, with the help of family and villagers, rescued what was then a closed pub from an uncertain fate. Since then, The Olive Branch has achieved many accolades, including the same Pub of the Year title in 2014. 

Co-founder and MD of The Olive Branch Ben Jones said: “What brilliant news to receive on our 21st anniversary at the end of this incredibly challenging year. We first opened on December 12, 1999, with a village Christmas party. Sadly, this year — due to the government’s illogical, pub-killing restrictions — we will not be able to celebrate safely with locals and villagers.”He continued: “A pub is about the whole experience – the beer, the wine, the food and, above all, the atmosphere. Right now, due to Covid and these restrictions, we aren’t really a pub. We aren’t able to welcome all; we aren’t able to enjoy a drink and some local gossip at the bar. However, this award means so much to us because it rewards the whole team at the end of an unbelievably tough year. Every single one of them has played their part in this success.”