A GASTROPUB in the Ribble Valley has been named as one of the UK’s top 100 restaurants.

The Parkers Arms, a multi-award winning historic inn based in Newton-in-Bowland, has been recognised as one of the best places to eat.

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The former coach house, based in Hall Gate Hill, appeared in the National Restaurant Awards list, which is run by Restaurant magazine and compiled by more than 150 industry experts.

Where exactly the venue falls in the top 100 will be revealed at London’s private Hurlingham Club on Monday, June 27.

Chef-patron Stosie Madi, who runs the pub alongside managing director Kathy Smith, said: “This is a biggie. We are a country pub in the middle of nowhere.

“Although we’ve won many awards, this is something I would never have imagined, never in my wildest dreams.

“It was ‘a complete and wonderful’ surprise.”

Stosie and Kathy have been leaseholders at The Parkers Arms since 2007 but have worked together in hospitality for 20 years.

Based on seasonal local Bowland ingredients, The Parkers Arms menu can change twice daily and includes hand-raised pies and pasties.

The venue, which caters for up to 90 inside and as many as 180 when outdoor seating is used in good weather, was a finalist in the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2015.

It recently underwent a £70,000 refurbishment to enlarge and refit the kitchen.

Other accolades obtained by The Parkers Arms include Top 50 Gastropub 2016 and coming second in ‘20 Best wild places to eat in the UK’, as nominated by The Times.

Most recently, trainee manager Ben Rushworth, 22, was shortlisted for Service in the Annual Awards for Excellence, led by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.

Ben, from Clitheroe, appeared alongside individuals from venues such as The Royal House-hold, The Ritz and Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

He was presented with a certificate and champagne at the Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, for reaching the final on Monday, May 23.

Stosie, who opened her first restaurant aged 21, said: “Ben has become an asset through our dedicated training and his shortlisting is a huge achievement given he only started in the role 12 months ago.

“Our customers enjoy the purity of what we do.

“The food production, the skills we use, the food quality, they’re what you’d associate with a high-end restaurant.

“It’s quality without the stuffiness and fuss.

“The ambience here is also very relaxed.”