The Highland Laddie, a pub in Leeds, has just had the sort of comeback that they make heartwarming ‘based on a true story’ films about. After nearly 100 years in business, the northern boozer shut down in 2023, and was on the verge of being turned into a convenience store. That was until Sam Pullan showed up and saved the day.
Pullan was able to save the space from conversion, not only just returning it to its former glory, but creating a pub that is so good it was just named the best in the entire country by the Good Food Guide. Somewhere out there a movie producer is preparing the script as we speak.
The Good Food Guide was established way back in 1951 by a man named Raymond Postgate, who wanted to ‘raise the standard of cooking in Britain’. Things have certainly changed for the better since then, but the guide remains both a source of good food for readers and a high-water mark for hospitality businesses.
This year, for the first time ever, the guide introduced a brand new list: Britain’s 100 Best Pubs. The Highland Laddie placed top of the ranking, making it officially the best pub in the country thanks to its ‘real ales, wonderful warmth and brilliant cooking’.
The pub only opened in April of this year, making its big win even more impressive. In a post on Instagram, the team at the Laddie described the win as ‘surreal’ but said that it was ‘absolutely over the moon’ to have received the recognition. It also thanked ‘everybody who comes down and makes The Laddie the proper local, community pub that we set out to create’.
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As well as good ale and friendly service, the Highland Laddie takes its food seriously. Pullan explained to the BBC: ‘I always said, make it a proper pub where people can come for a pint. They'll come in and see the oysters on the bar and they'll say: oh, what's that?’
Clearly, whatever Pullan and his team are doing is working. The Good Food Guide described the pub as offering ‘exactly what a pub should’, and as a versatile place ‘for someone to come in for a solitary pint, as well as a place to enjoy a proper meal with seasonal ingredients and pub classics served with warm hospitality’.
The best pubs in the UK, according to Time Out.
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