Britain's gourmet pub grub puts French fare to shame

Pubs such as the Queen's Head and Artichoke in London get critic Egon Ronay's vote for fine food and atmosphere.

Fuelling a long-running Channel rivalry , a new guide claims British gastropubs serve better food than many traditional French bistros.

Turning his attentions to gourmet watering holes for the first time, Britain's most famous critic, Egon Ronay, praised the most dramatic change to national eating habits for half a century.

Friendly pub staff give customers a warmer welcome than some "surly" waiters in France, according to Ronay's latest guide, published yesterday.

"The question is, where have all these good, often outstanding cooks been hiding all this time?" it asks.

Ronay launched a jibe at French President Jacques Chirac, who famously said of Britain in the run-up to the Olympic bid announcement: "After Finland, it's the country with the worst food."

Describing the emergence of gastropubs, Ronay retorted: "Though around for some time, they are a phenomenon, having spread explosively with a surprisingly high standard of cooking and warm-hearted atmosphere - altogether the biggest change in the catering scene in my 50 years' experience as a restaurateur and critic.

"And it shows how hasty and ill-informed President Chirac's condemnation earlier this year of the British food scene has been."

Egon Ronay's 2006 Guide to the best restaurants and gastropubs in Britain now includes star ratings for the latter.

It names the Star in Harome, North Yorkshire, as the best gastropub, praising its story-book charm, smiling efficiency and "original creations". While none of the gastronomic hostelries have been deemed to merit three stars - an honour held by just four restaurants - 10 fall in the two-star category. They often produce food of restaurant standard despite having considerably less space and resources, the guide says.

Quoting such delicacies as "lobster ravioli with gossamer-thin pasta, foamy shellfish broth and crunchy, tender young fennel", the guide states: "Amazingly, these delights are created mostly in kitchens a fifth or even a tenth of the size of those in grand restaurants, yet frequently producing food that achieves the same standards."

Praising the unstuffy informality of pubs, it continues: "The great importance and the greatest difference from French bistros - which strike you as soon as you cross the threshold - lie in the immediate friendliness and heartiness of the welcome, often by the family of the proprietor."

- INDEPENDENT