A restaurant in Cowbridge has been crowned one of the Good Food Guide's 100 Best Local Restaurants. Rocket & Rye located on High Street was voted as the the best in Wales with the likes of Y Polyn, The Warren and Yr Hen Printworks making the shortlist as runners up.
The list was compiled from over 37,000 public nominations which were subsequently inspected by the Good Food Guide's inspectors and after six weeks, Rocket & Rye scooped the gong for the best in Wales. Typically, the Best Local Restaurants are located in classic ‘neighbourhood’ locations, but with this list The Good Food Guide have based its winners on the restaurant's connection to the community as well as its food, service and atmosphere.
Rocket & Rye is run by John Cook and his restaurant is open seven days a week offering lunch Monday to Sunday, and a late-night cafe on Friday and Saturday. The menus at Rocket & Rye change frequently using the best seasonal and local produce. In May of this year, it was added to the prestigious publication and at the time it tweeted: "If you saw the tiny kitchen space we have it would make you laugh. To achieve this, in such a limited space, genuinely makes me prouder than I've ever been of our little restaurant. Just brilliant." And now, they've gone and won the title of Best Local Restaurant in Wales.
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Reacting to this accolade, John and Ceri Cook said: " Winning this award means everything to us. It’s genuine recognition from our loyal customers. We strive to create a consistently good dining experience, in a relaxed setting for everyone to enjoy. We are proud to do it our way and when people enjoy that there is no better feeling. The Good Food Guide is a massively respected institution that we are immensely proud to be recognised by, the whole team are thrilled to have achieved this accolade. Thank you so much to every person that voted, it means the absolute world to us.”
Speaking about the list, which was published on the Good Food Guide's website on Friday, July 7 at 1pm, Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “Local restaurants are so often the heartbeat of communities; providing jobs, generating economic growth and, most importantly, providing fantastic food. It’s brilliant to see such huge support from the public for their local restaurants and is deserved recognition of their hard work. This sort of support is invaluable as venues face ever-rising costs and is essential in keeping valued businesses viable.”
The list of Welsh winners and shortlisted finalists are:
- Rocket & Rye, Glamorgan
- Y Polyn, Carmarthenshire
- The Warren, Carmarthenshire
- Heathcock, Glamorgan
- Paternoster Farm, Pembrokeshire
- The Black Bear Inn, Monmouthshire
- Yr Hen Printworks, Ceredigion
The co-founder of the Northern Bar and Restaurant Show, Thom Hetherington, added: “The Good Food Guide was a revelation to me as a fledgling foodie 25 years ago, and its authority and independence is as crucial to today’s diners as ever - not just highlighting big names, but shining a light on the sometimes hidden restaurant gems that locals love and others need to know about.”
Tallow, a neighbourhood restaurant in Southborough, Royal Tunbridge Wells has been named the overall Best Local Restaurant. For the full list, see the Good Food Guide's website.
