A South West gourmet guide has revealed the shortlist for its annual reader's awards with five nods for hospitality businesses based in and around Bristol. The Trencherman's Awards are voted for by readers of the Trencherman guide, a respected source of the best eating experiences across the region.
Launched in 1993 and described by Rick Stein as ‘a guide with teeth’, the Trencherman's Guide is overseen by a committee of industry experts chaired by leading chef Michael Caines MBE. The name Trencherman derives from an old English term for a hearty eater.
Inclusion is only granted to establishments by invitation once they have ranked enough points in its scoring system (based on Good Food Guide, AA and Michelin ratings) or after being scored by an experienced food writer from the Trencherman’s team. Locations that hold a Trencherman’s Award for the current year are highlighted within the guide.
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In the first round of its 2023 awards, almost 10,000 votes were cast, and a shortlist that readers can vote on has now been unveiled. Voting closes at 11 pm on January 19, and the grand finalists will be revealed on January 24. The winners will be crowned at a ceremony at Salcombe Harbour Hotel on March 6.
Want to try some of the shortlisted spots? Bristolians are spoiled with several amazing nominated eateries right on their doorstep.
Ronnie’s of Thornbury nominated for Best Restaurant
Launched in 2007 by Ron Faulkner, Ronnie’s is situated within a 17th-century building where the guide suggests a 3-course dinner will set you back £55. Its Chef patron Ron was a finalist for Best Chef in the Food Reader Awards 2022, and the food is all prepared on-site from scratch using seasonal ingredients.
There's a six-course tasting menu with a wine flight or a curated à la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Trencherman picks out the Sunday lunch as going "way beyond the usual fare. Starters such as crispy crab cannelloni with charred pineapple and pepper gel, and mains like 32‑day‑aged roast sirloin with Yorkshire pudding and watercress salad (plus all the trimmings) will surprise and delight."
Last year the Ronnie's made it to the top three and is hoping to do even better this time round.
11 St Mary Street, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 2AB
Thornbury Castle nominated for Best Hotel and Best Newcomer
Formally owned by one King Henry VIII, Thornbury Castle on the south Gloucestershire border is now Relais & Châteaux hotel boasting an elegant oak-panelled restaurant with food every bit as grand as the setting.
Executive chef Carl Cleghorn offers classic European dishes using locally sourced, or castle gown produce. There are both à la carte and tasting menus with a 6-course dinner starting from around £92. Trencherman says that whichever you choose, "dinner starts with drinks beside a roaring fire in the lavish drawing room, and your evening is punctuated with little surprises such as canapés and amuse bouche."
Castle Street, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 1HH
Harvey Nichols Second Floor Restaurant, Best Bar List
Perfectly positioned for a bit of respite in hectic Broadmead, the Second Floor Restaurant inside Bristol's Harvey Nichols department store offers shoppers seasonal, fresh and local produce on its regularly revised menus.
The restaurant caters for lunch brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner with a reasonably priced market menu option updated monthly. Trencherman suggests three courses will cost from £30 and advises you to "kick-off dinner in style with an aperitif at the NYC-chic bar next door, which ups the glam factor further via moody lighting and a list of well-crafted drinks."
27 Philadelphia Street, Quakers Friars, Bristol, BS1 3BZ
Josh Eggleton – The Pony Restaurant Group nominated for Special Contribution
Beginning in 2006 with The Pony & Trap, The Pony Group, run by Michelin-star chef Josh Eggleton and his family, has grown over the years to encompass venues across the Bristol area. With the aim of offering locally sourced, environmentally sustainable and enjoyable dining experiences for everyone, the group's ventures have taken on everything from pubs to pop-ups. They include Pony Chew Valley, The Kensington Arms in Redland, Root in Wapping Wharf, Salt and Malt in Chew Valley and Wapping Wharf and Bristol Beer factory.
At the end of last year, the group closed a location on North Street that initially opened as a pop-up in May 2021, immediately after covid indoor restrictions on hospitality were lifted. Throughout Covid lockdowns, Eggleton was an active voice in advocating for support for the hospitality sector. The closure came as the group's flagship location, Pony Chew Valley is soon due to reopen. Housed in the former Pony & Trap pub, it will house a restaurant, cookery school, wedding, and event venue.
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