Chef Tom Kerridge has told the Standard he once was intimidated by Michelin-starred restaurants, though he now holds three of the coveted guides' stars across two of his pubs.
Discussing the accolade, Kerridge said: “One of the biggest compliments we have, particularly at the Hand and Flowers, is that people go there for their first Michelin star experience because they think they might be intimidated by a Michelin star restaurant and they feel comfortable going to a pub.
"I'm as guilty as anyone else. When I was much younger I was intimidated by these places, and I’d be nervous about going out for dinner, worrying about what I’m wearing."
Kerridge's Marlow-based pub the Hand and Flowers presently holds two stars – the only pub to do so – while the Coach, which is on the same street, has one.
The Salisbury-born chef added: "The perception of Michelin stars being posh is wrong; the perception of Michelin stars being good is right.
"Eating out should be a comfortable and fun experience – you shouldn’t be nervous about going out for dinner.
“The best pubs aren’t there breaking down boundaries in terms of culinary dishes or setting the world alight with new techniques or flavour combinations; the best pubs exist because they do food that people understand well."
This year, Kerridge's Pub in the Park festival comes to London for the first time, running from September 6 – 8 at Chiswick House. Restaurants popping up at the London event include Jose Pizarro, the Oyster Bar at Bibendum, Berners Tavern and Cafe Murano, alongside some of the British chef's friends.
Kerridge said: "The London food scene is a particularly eclectic one and is very exciting, so we wanted it to be pub-based but with plenty of choice and a lot going on. There’s a lot of great London-based chefs there, so it’s a great way of showcasing what they do."
He added: “Everyone loves eating and everyone loves having a drink sat in the garden, listening to music.
“You get brilliant food, with loads of different flavours from lots of different pubs. Then you also get to sit down and watch the music festival — so it all becomes quite a big, amazing set up.”
This year's musical line-up includes the likes of Clean Bandit, Scouting for Girls, Toploader and Texas.
The pub grub extravaganza will set off on a whistle-stop tour of the country later this year, starting in May in Marlow. Touring eight sites in total, the festival then heads to Leeds, Knutsford, Bath, Warwick and Tunbridge Wells and London, before finishing up in St Albans.
Pre-sale tickets for Pub in the Park are now on sale, with general release on February 1. For more information, visit pubintheparkuk.com
