News
The Parkers Arms has been crowned the UK’s best gastropub at the Estrella Damn awards
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.
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.
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.
Read more: I ate chicken feet and thousand-year-old eggs in Manchester’s Chinatown – and I loved it
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.
Read more: Award-winning Manchester pie shop Ate Days A Week has closed
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
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
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
13. The Harwood Arms, London
14. Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax
15. The Coach, Marlow
16. The Beehive, Great Waltham
17. The Cadeleigh Arms, Tiverton
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
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
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
33. The Bull & Last, London
34. The White Horse, Brancaster
35. The Black Bull, Sedbergh
36. The Swan, Bampton
37. The Bell Inn, Langford
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
43. Heft, High Newton
44. The Broad Chare, Newcastle
45. Woods, Dulverton
46. The Gunton Arms, Norwich
47. The French House, London
48. The Eagle, Farringdon, London
Feature image – The Parkers Arms
News
Bury woman, 87, dies of hypothermia after saying she couldn’t afford to turn her heating on
Emily Sergeant
An elderly woman from Bury has died from hypothermia after telling her GP she couldn’t afford to turn the heating on.
An inquest at Rochdale Coroner’s Court this week has heard that 87-year-old Barbara Bolton was admitted to Fairfield Hospital with hypothermia and a chest infection on 11 December last year after telling her GP that she could not afford to turn her heating on at her home on Dawson Street in Bury, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Ms Bolton – who was a mother and a widow, and had previously worked as a pharmacy assistant – tragically died on 5 January after her family made the decision to place her on end of life care.
Explaining Ms Bolton’s situation, Police Coroner’s Officer, Jane Scullion, told the hearing: “Barbara was admitted to hospital on December 11, 2022, with hypothermia, and a chest infection.
“She was referred to hospital by her GP who said this was related to her not being able to afford her heating and during that time she continued to deteriorate.
“After a discussion she was placed on end of life care and passed away.”
Requesting statements from the doctor and asking for a medical cause of death to be provided, Assistant Coroner for Manchester North, Julie Mitchell, adjourned the inquest and said Ms Bolton’s death was “particularly accelerated” by hypothermia.
“Her death was particularly accelerated by hypothermia and there is a possibility of self neglect due to the lack of heating so her death has been referred to the coroner,” Ms Mitchell said.
Hypothermia is what happens when your body temperature drops below 35°C, and is usually caused by staying out in the cold for too long or not wearing enough clothes in cold weather, but according to the NHS, the condition can also be caused by living in a cold house – with older people living alone particularly at risk.
Following the inquest, Ms Bolton’s told the MEN: “We were in contact with her every day and saw her and spoke to her.
“We have to deal with the sad loss now and it’s very hard for me and my family.”
Read more:
A full inquest to explore the circumstances leading to Ms Bolton’s death will take place at Rochdale Coroner’s Court later this year.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Glazers reportedly seeking ‘full sale’ of Manchester United as bidding war is expected to rev up
Danny Jones
The Glazer family is now reportedly eyeing up a “full sale” of Manchester United as a bidding war for the club is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks and months.
While Man United fans initially rejoiced when they first heard the news that the Glazers would be ‘open to selling‘ the massive sports franchise back in November, there was an underlying feeling of hesitance and scepticism as to the wider details.
Revealing that they had started “to explore strategic alternatives for the club”, a statement from the club clarified that while a sale was possible, other options could simply include “new investment into the club…or other transactions involving the Company.”
However, it now seems that selling off partial shares in the business is unlikely and that the owners are seeking a “full sale” of the club, according to various outlets.
As per Sportsmail‘s Mike Keegan, all potential takeover deals are being overseen by US merchant bankers, Raine Group, and are expected to move into the formal stages within the next three to four weeks. These things often move quickly.
He went on to reveal that the Glazer family’s expected asking price of £6 billion and upwards is now looking to closer £8bn, the noises so far point to the likelihood of a full takeover of United, rather than investment in exchange for a stake.
Read more:
Moreover, while Manc-born billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has become the first to launch an official bid, it is said that there is interest from other investors in the US, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and more.
The key thing to note is that regardless of whether a full sale of United is greenlit, the cost will go far beyond just the figure the Glazers have set, as recent Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard interviews have only further highlighted the clubs ‘outdated’ infrastructure and more.
So, the question remains, does any one of these suitors have the kind of money to take one of the biggest sporting projects in the world?
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Featured Image — Sky Sports/Manchester United (via Twitter)