Three Hunter watering holes have shared the spoils in the inaugural Sydney Morning Herald Good Pub Guide.
The Albion at Wickham, Harrigan’s Irish Pub at Pokolbin and Carrington Place, were all given 3-schooner ratings. The ratings are based on the hat system for restaurants.
The three Hunter pubs were in a group of just eight across New South Wales awarded 3-schooner ratings.
The Good Pub Food Guide explains “The rise of the British “gastro pub” has been credited with giving many ageing institutions a new lease of life and in Australia the humble hotel is also undergoing a kitchen-based renaissance.
“Owners are increasingly realising that it’s not enough to throw a prawn on the barbie or crucify a steak,” said Keith Austin, editor of the inaugural Good Pub Food Guide 2011.
“The punters want more, and they deserve more, and the pubs in this guide have recognised that.
“For the first time we have an Australian guide that looks at pub food rather than just the beer and trivia nights.
The Albion’s Licencee Cory Crooks was ecstatic with his pub’s performance, which included landing in the top 10 for best overall ‘individual dishes’ & best ‘fine-dining options’
“This is a fantastic boost for all my team leading into the Xmas season and great to receive some recognition for the fantastic effort the team put into their customer service and the skills they have on offer in the kitchen coming together to make us stand out from the crowd.
