The three Welsh gastropubs on a list of the 50 best in the UK are within a 30-mile radius of each other. Two of the pubs are only five miles apart.
The first Welsh entry is the Felin Fach Griffin in Brecon at 30, followed at 31 by The Hardwick at Abergavenny, and The Black Bear Inn at Bettws Newydd, near Usk, is 42nd on the list.
Pubs across the UK have been recognised for their food in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list 2023. Top of the list was The Parkers Arms in Clitheroe, Lancashire, voted number two last year.
Read more: The 50 best restaurants in Wales in 2023
The Welsh pubs are all close to each other with The Hardwick and The Black Bear Inn only five miles apart, and the Felin Fach Griffin just 30 miles away.
Of the top 50, 22 of the venues are in the South of England. The North of the UK claimed 16 of the top 50 spots.
Top 50 Gastropubs publisher, Chris Lowe said: “We are thrilled to see such a strong list of contenders this year, including five new entrants! The Top 50 Gastropubs provides a space for food and drink lovers the opportunity to explore the best that the UK has to offer.
The Felin Fach entry says: "Well and truly fach with a bang, the Welsh Borders pub the Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, re-entered the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list in 2021 and has remained a strong contender this year."
And adds: "Visitors can expect to find a seven-bedroom gourmet bolthole whose food menu reflects the land that surrounds it with a typical supper menu boasting fish from Cornwall as well as Welsh beef and lamb, game from local estates, and cheeses from world renowned dairies."
About The Hardwick, is says: "In Abergavenny, South Wales, you’ll find the church of the country’s foodie elite in Chef Stephen Terry’s stellar gastropub The Hardwick."
And adds: "The ‘happy home for talented chefs’ is a regular haunt for Wales’ foodies, earning rave reviews from the likes of MasterChef’s Greg Wallace and a host of esteemed restaurant critics.
"A comprehensive menu doesn’t make choosing an easy task, but the Hardwick’s hard graft pays off, with spoilt-for-choice customers visiting for old favourites and new dishes alike."
It says: "Visitors to and locals of the market town of Usk in Monmouthshire will enjoy the cosy feel of the Black Bear Inn."
Adding: "Operator couple Josh and Hannah Byrne oversee a locally-sourced and seasonal à la carte menu with Head Chef Chris Halbert which is changed every week.
On previous winter menus, mains have included duck breast served with onion marmalade, carrots, in addition to halibut with cauliflower and green sauce, as well as breaded squash, barley, root vegetables, fennel and garlic."
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