Thame pub scores hat-trick in Observer Food Monthly Awards

THE team at The Thatch in Thame are raising their glasses today in celebration of being recognised in not one but three categories of this year’s Observer Food Monthly Awards, which celebrate the very best in British food and drink, from grass-root producers to the most famous chefs.

L to R Frazer Sutherland, Evelin Rae, Tom Upham, The Thatch, Thame

The popular Thame gastropub was singled out for the good food and drink it serves every day of the week by being named runner-up in Best Restaurants, Best Sunday Lunch and Best Place to Drink in the south, as voted for by readers of Observer Food Monthly.

“We’re absolutely over the moon to have done this well in these prestigious awards that everyone in the food and drink world wants to win,” said The Thatch’s Manager, Evelin Rae. “There’s tremendous competition and so many big names in every single category. So to be honoured alongside them is really fantastic, especially when the voting is completely in the hands of the public. Simply being nominated for an Observer Food Monthly Award is brilliant in itself, but being runner-up in three different categories is more than we could have hoped for – an amazing hat-trick.

“We do work hard to make the pub a good place to eat and drink and to put great food on our guests’ plates and great wine and beer in their glasses. It takes a great team to do this, and of course great guests to appreciate it by voting for us, and we’d like to thank every single one of them for doing that.”

In awarding a runners-up place in the Sunday lunch category, the judges commented that The Thatch was a “superior gastropub, serious about its beef, with a lovely market town setting.” They also singled out the pub’s ‘impressive wine list’ and said that the pub’s food warranted a visit throughout the week, as well as for Sunday lunch. The pub’s salad and veg supplier, David Newman from Bucksum Salads in Long Crendon, also picked up an award of his own, being named Best Local Farmer.

The 10th Observer Food Monthly Awards took place at a show-stopping ceremony in London, where even the trophies themselves were edible. Co-hosted by Jay Rayner and The Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, they rank among the UK’s most prestigious food awards. For more information, go to www.theguardian.com/observer-food-monthly-awards

The Thatch is at 29-30 Lower High Street, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2AA. Tel: 01844 214 340. www.thethatchthame.co.uk