The UK’s best gastro pub has been revealed and it’s just over an hour’s drive from Manchester.
It was revealed last night that The Parkers Arms in Newton-In-Bowland, Clitheroe, has topped the list at this year’s prestigious Estrella Damn Gastropubs, also known as the ‘pub Oscars’.
The female-owned pub, headed up by Kathy Smith and Stosie Madi. Set deep in the Lancashire hills, Parkers Arms is called a little gem and is a true gastropub which takes pride in sourcing local produce from the very best suppliers.
The pub is famed for its pies, but with a menu that often changes twice a day you never know exactly what you’re going to get. As a result the menu is rarely listed on its website, as it fluctuates depending on what is in season and locally available.
Image: The Parkers Arms
Image: The Parkers Arms
In the past few years The Parkers Arms has slowly but steadily climbed up the rankings, first entering the list in 2017 at number 48 before going on to take home second place last year.
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Commenting on how it felt to scoop the top gong at last, owners said they were ‘so delighted proud and honoured to be no 1 in what we call the pub oscars,’ adding that the award was a massive ‘morale booster’.
Overall, the 2023 list was dominated by the south but there were a number of other northern pubs featured. Notably, these include The Pack Horse in Hayfield (no. 18) and nearby Yorkshire pubs The Angel at Hetton, Skipton (no.6) The White Swan at Fence, Burnley (no. 7), Shibden Mill Inn (no.14) and recently-closed pub The Moorcock Inn at Norland.
In total the list saw five new entrants for 2023. The Baring in London, the highest new entrant, came in at number 23 whilst on the marshy coastline of Norfolk yThe White Horse, another new entrant, was voted number 34.
Other awards announced at the ceremony on Monday night were One to Watch – which was given to The Victoria Oxshott, in Surrey. The Oarsman in Marlow was awarded Newcomer of the Year. Brook House in Fulham won best Front of House Team, and Chef of the Year went to Tom De Keyser, head chef of The Hand & Flowers in Marlow.
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. We are delighted to host this year’s event at The Unruly Pig, showcasing the vast amount of talent across the UK”
The Top 50 Gastropubs 2023 list is as follows:
1. Parkers Arms, Newton-In-Bowland
2. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge
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3. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell
4. The Sportsman, Seasalter
5. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells
6. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton
7. The White Swan at Fence, Fence
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8. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow
9. The Fordwich Arms, Kent
10. The Red Lion and Sun, London
11. The Mariners, Rock
12. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock
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13. The Harwood Arms, London
14. Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax
15. The Coach, Marlow
16. The Beehive, Great Waltham
17. The Cadeleigh Arms, Tiverton
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18. The Pack Horse, Hayfield
19. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple
20. The Black Swan, Ravenstondale
21. The Moorcock Inn, Sowerby Bridge
22. The Guinea Grill, London
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23. The Baring, London
24. The Masons Arms, Knowstone
25. Canton Arms, London
26. The Rat Inn, Anick, Hexham
27. The Pipe and Glass, Beverley
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28. The Longs Arms, South Wraxall
29. The Dog at Wingham, Canterbury
30. The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon
31. The Hardwick, Abergavenny
32. The Loch and The Tyne, Old Windsor
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33. The Bull & Last, London
34. The White Horse, Brancaster
35. The Black Bull, Sedbergh
36. The Swan, Bampton
37. The Bell Inn, Langford
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38. Scran and scallie, Edinburgh
39. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton
40. The Duck Inn, Stanhoe
41. The Duncombe Arms, Ashbourne
42. The Black Bear Inn, Usk – Wales
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43. Heft, High Newton
44. The Broad Chare, Newcastle
45. Woods, Dulverton
46. The Gunton Arms, Norwich
47. The French House, London
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48. The Eagle, Farringdon, London
Feature image – The Parkers Arms
News
Parklife pumps more than £155,000 back into Greater Manchester community projects
Danny Jones
Parklife is once again proving why it’s such an important event for Greater Manchester, not just in terms of music and culture, but through the money it pumps back into the community through grassroots projects.
The annual music festival at Heaton Park raises significant funds for local initiatives with each edition via the official Parklife Community Fund.
Partnered with the Manchester, Bury, and Rochdale councils, the finances generated through those who attend not only Parklife but also other concerts held at the outdoor venue, such as the recent Oasis shows, help local groups that make a positive, tangible difference in their neighbourhoods.
This year alone, the total includes £55,000 raised from guest list donations by festival attendees, as well as a further £100k generated from other events held in Heaton Park, making 2025 one of, if not the biggest, years for donations to date.
Distributed by the City Council and the local authorities in Bury and Rochdale throughout the respective boroughs, the aim is not only to give back but to enhance local life, through everything from important youth programmes to community wellbeing and improvement schemes.
Launched back in 2017, the festival fund is approaching nearly half a million pounds raised on behalf of local causes, strengthening its connection with the nearby communities surrounding its host site.
The region’s vast and stunning green space is a huge tourist attraction in itself, meaning literal grassroots causes like the woodland management group are vital to maintaining that beauty and status.
Other projects include an astronomy group, as well as fitness drives like ‘RockFit’ (seen above), which now meets at Heaton Park regularly to promote exercise for both physical and mental health.
It’s also worth noting that the fund covers surrounding areas like Higher Blackley and Crumpsall; Sedgley, Holyrood, St Mary’s and even South Middleton.
You can see more examples of the charitable community work in action down below.
Credit: Supplied
Sam Kandel, founder of Parklife Festival, said of the fund: “Parklife is proud to call Heaton Park home, and it’s really important to us that the festival has a lasting, positive impact on the local community.
“The Community Fund is our way of saying thank you to residents and supporting the brilliant grassroots projects that make Manchester, Bury, and Rochdale such special places to live.”
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon (Exec Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods) added: “Parklife brings people from Manchester and beyond to our wonderful Heaton Park, and it is right that the communities living close by benefit from the event through reinvestment in local initiatives that will leave a legacy for all.
“The Parklife community fund means that local communities choose what’s important to them and they have the opportunity to bid for funds to invest in projects that enhance local amenities, strengthen community connections and wellbeing for the benefit of everyone.”
Those looking to benefit from the fund can apply online now and you can find out more information by contacting the relevant councils’ neighbourhood pages.
Work finally begins on Greater Manchester’s new ‘innovation hub’ in Atom Valley creating 20,000 jobs
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… work has finally begun on the first major development in Atom Valley.
If you’re not familiar with Atom Valley, this new project is set to be a unique innovation ‘cluster’ – plans of which were approved by local leaders all the way back in summer 2022 – with the potential to create up to 20,000 new jobs in Greater Manchester once it’s complete.
Greater Manchester wants Atom Valley to become a ‘springboard’ for new and emerging companies and researchers, giving them the support and the opportunities they need to trial and commercialise their innovations right here in our region.
The new development which ground has now been broken on is a Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) – which is set to become a thriving hub of innovation.
Today is a big day for GM.
We break ground on a new research centre at Atom Valley – our emerging world-class cluster in advanced materials and manufacturing.
Here, start-ups and emerging companies will be able to pioneer new technologies and scale up their ambitions, all while creating jobs and driving growth across the region in the process.
Located next to the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale, it will offer 30,000 sq ft of new laboratory space, workshops, and design studios, as well as a lecture theatre, meeting rooms, office space, and flexible workspace for start-ups.
With the ‘right’ support, local leaders say the SMMC will also be a vital link between Atom Valley and the Oxford Road Corridor, ultimately forging a pathway for new companies and projects to expand from the city centre out into the wider city region.
Work has finally begun on Greater Manchester’s new ‘innovation hub’ in Atom Valley / Credit: DLA Architecture
Mayor Andy Burnham says this is the ‘most ambitious development’ in Atom Valley so far
“It will help unleash the untapped potential of the world-leading research taking place across our city region, bridging that crucial gap from invention to bringing those new innovations to the market,” he explained. “And it will create a new hi-tech corridor from the out to the north of Greater Manchester, creating jobs and new opportunities for start-ups to scale up their ambitions.
“This is integrated, well-connected development in action, and a clear sign of our mission to spread the benefits of growth right across our city region.”
Georgina Pellant -
24th January 2023 
