Good Food Guide
Encyclopedia
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurant
s in the UK, published by Which?
books.
The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate
, an enthusiastic gourmet
, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to clandestinely visit and assess restaurants on the basis that, "You can corrupt one man. You can't bribe an army." Postgate had previously founded the Good Food Club in 1949. The Good Food Guide currently reports on over 1,200 top establishments and is unique as it is completely rewritten every year and is entirely independent — there is no advertising or sponsorship, no fees are accepted for inclusion, and all of the inspections are anonymous.
Readers are actively encouraged to submit their reviews, via the Good Food Guide website, which are then considered for prospective inclusion in next year's guide. The best contributors are put forward to become future restaurant inspectors for The Good Food Guide. Restaurants are scored out of ten.
. The Guide received so many reviews for Lacy's that the entry for the restaurant was divided into "Love Lacy's" and "Loathe Lacy's" columns.
In 2007 former Good Food Guide inspectors and editors criticised the Guide after a series of high profile restaurant omissions, claiming that a new inspection and editorial regime had led to corners being cut after incorporating three hundred reader-recommended restaurants within its twelve hundred full entries.
Former inspector and editor, Jim Ainsworth, described the new regime as "penny-pinching" and said of the 2008 guide: "The word that occurs to me is careless. A lot of things simply appear to have been done in a rush." Among the omissions, a restaurant was omitted in the Scilly Isles despite being listed as a main entry on the guide's map of the island. Some restaurants were omitted after a lack of reader reviews.
The publishers of the Guide, Which?, strongly denied the allegations, conceding that some former inspectors had been "disgruntled" at the changes, but stressed that most of the inspection team was unchanged and there had been no reduction in standards.
2008 saw the publication of special London edition of the Guide. This followed Michelin
who had published a dedicated London guide the previous year.
In the 2011 edition of the Guide, Heston Blumenthal
's The Fat Duck
was named the best restaurant, followed by Gordon Ramsay
's Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
and Raymond Blanc
's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
. A branch of Little Chef
near Popham
was included in the 2010 guide after a makeover by Heston Blumenthal as part of a Channel 4
programme.
To celebrate the Guide's sixtieth anniversary in 2010, the Guide presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to chef Raymond Blanc
of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
in Great Milton
, a restaurant that has spent twenty seven years in the guide. The award was presented in recognition of his "unerring commitment to consistency, quality and seasonal produce"
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s in the UK, published by Which?
Which?
Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
books.
The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate
Raymond Postgate
Raymond William Postgate was an English socialist, journalist and editor, social historian, mystery novelist and gourmet.-Early life:...
, an enthusiastic gourmet
Gourmet
Gourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to clandestinely visit and assess restaurants on the basis that, "You can corrupt one man. You can't bribe an army." Postgate had previously founded the Good Food Club in 1949. The Good Food Guide currently reports on over 1,200 top establishments and is unique as it is completely rewritten every year and is entirely independent — there is no advertising or sponsorship, no fees are accepted for inclusion, and all of the inspections are anonymous.
Readers are actively encouraged to submit their reviews, via the Good Food Guide website, which are then considered for prospective inclusion in next year's guide. The best contributors are put forward to become future restaurant inspectors for The Good Food Guide. Restaurants are scored out of ten.
History
An early contributor to the Guide, Margaret Costa later opened her own restaurant, Lacy's, in MayfairMayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
. The Guide received so many reviews for Lacy's that the entry for the restaurant was divided into "Love Lacy's" and "Loathe Lacy's" columns.
In 2007 former Good Food Guide inspectors and editors criticised the Guide after a series of high profile restaurant omissions, claiming that a new inspection and editorial regime had led to corners being cut after incorporating three hundred reader-recommended restaurants within its twelve hundred full entries.
Former inspector and editor, Jim Ainsworth, described the new regime as "penny-pinching" and said of the 2008 guide: "The word that occurs to me is careless. A lot of things simply appear to have been done in a rush." Among the omissions, a restaurant was omitted in the Scilly Isles despite being listed as a main entry on the guide's map of the island. Some restaurants were omitted after a lack of reader reviews.
The publishers of the Guide, Which?, strongly denied the allegations, conceding that some former inspectors had been "disgruntled" at the changes, but stressed that most of the inspection team was unchanged and there had been no reduction in standards.
2008 saw the publication of special London edition of the Guide. This followed Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
who had published a dedicated London guide the previous year.
In the 2011 edition of the Guide, Heston Blumenthal
Heston Blumenthal
Heston Marc Blumenthal OBE is an English chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire voted Best Restaurant in the UK by The Good Food Guide 2007 and 2009, and voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005...
's The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck is a restaurant run by chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, England. The restaurant is known for its menu of unusual dishes, created following the principles of molecular gastronomy examples include: "snail porridge", "sardine on toast sorbet", "bacon and egg ice cream", and...
was named the best restaurant, followed by Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
's Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, also known as Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, is a three Michelin star restaurant owned and operated by Gordon Ramsay, located at Royal Hospital Road, London. It opened in 1998 and was Ramsay's first solo restaurant, in 2001 it made Gordon Ramsay the first Scottish...
and Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc OBE is a French chef, born in Besançon, France. Today he is one of the Britain's most respected chefs. Blanc is the owner and chef at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the...
's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton near Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It is located in an historic manor house near the church that was visited by Oliver Cromwell.The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scores 9/10 in the Good Food Guide...
. A branch of Little Chef
Little Chef
Little Chef is a chain of roadside restaurants in the United Kingdom, founded in 1958 and owned by the UK private equity group RCapital. Little Chef's previous owners were The People's Restaurant Group Ltd., a company belonging to British catering entrepreneurs Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow,...
near Popham
Popham
Popham is a surname.As a surname Popham may refer to:* Alexander Popham, , MP in the Long Parliament* Alix Popham, Welsh rugby union player* Arthur E...
was included in the 2010 guide after a makeover by Heston Blumenthal as part of a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
programme.
Awards
Every year the Guide presents its Editor's Awards in the following categories; Best New Entry, Best Pub Newcomer, Wine List of the Year, Best Chef, Best Up-and-Coming Chef, Best Pub Chef, Best Fish Restaurant, Best Value for Money, Best Use of Local Produce, and Best Family Restaurant.To celebrate the Guide's sixtieth anniversary in 2010, the Guide presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to chef Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc OBE is a French chef, born in Besançon, France. Today he is one of the Britain's most respected chefs. Blanc is the owner and chef at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the...
of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton near Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It is located in an historic manor house near the church that was visited by Oliver Cromwell.The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scores 9/10 in the Good Food Guide...
in Great Milton
Great Milton
Great Milton is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of Oxford.-History:The toponym appears to refer to the "Middle Town" of a group....
, a restaurant that has spent twenty seven years in the guide. The award was presented in recognition of his "unerring commitment to consistency, quality and seasonal produce"
Publications
- The Good Food Guide Dinner Party Book (Hilary Fawcett and Jeanne Strang, 1971)
- The Good Food Guide Second Dinner Party Book (Hilary Fawcett, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 1979)
- Good Cook's Guide: More Recipes from Restaurants in the "Good Food Guide" (1974)
- The Good Food Guide (Which? Books, 2010) ISBN 9781844901951
- The Good Food Guide: Recipes - Celebrating 60 of the UK's Best Chefs and Restaurants (Which? Books, 2010) ISBN 9781844901067