It’s been crowned as The Good Food Guide’s number one pub
The Highland Laddie in Woodhouse(Image: Samuel Port)
I visited ‘Britain’s Best Pub’ after the 100-year-old Leeds boozer claimed the title.
The Highland Laddie, in Woodhouse, was crowned as The Good Food Guide’s number one pub in the UK out of a long list of 100 establishments. It originally opened in 1925, and is currently under the ownership of Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton, who refurbished the venue and reopened it in April.
The Good Food Guide praised the pub’s traditional decor and the landlords’ vision and keen eye for details which made it feel “established and lived-in” on its way to becoming a “neighbourhood pub”.
There was a romantic look to the small pub amid the dark inner-city streets. It was lit up with golden hues of light streaming from its stained-glass windows into Cavendish Street. I could hear chatter and laughter coming from the pub as I approached – which was certainly inviting.
The Highland Laddie, Cavendish Street, Woodhouse(Image: Samuel Port)
The landlords’ vision becomes clear as you enter. I was met with the warm dark hues of the wooden décor, brass taps and candles flickering on each of the small round tables. The dining area and tap room were divided into two sections – every single table in the dining area had been reserved and the bar was full of punters.
The punters were happy to make space for me as I established where I was sitting. The bar staff were eager to make drinks and food recommendations, and they had an affable relaxed manner despite having to deal with a lot of customers.
After considering whether to get the Laddie Lager, a Belgian Pilsner, I opted for a pint of the Tegernseer Hell. It had rich malty flavour with biscuity tones and a somewhat tangy finish. It went down very easily, and was complemented by the equally rich conversation by the punters.
A pint of Tegernseer Hell(Image: Samuel Port)
I was surprised to learn that a lot of the people surrounding me had become regulars after the pub won The Good Food Guide’s competition. They ventured in out of curiosity and fell in love with the venue. It was remarked that it was one of those pubs that you can just go inside and get chatting to anyone – I’ve always seen this as a quality that lifts a good pub into a standout venue.
The Highland has an extensive menu for such a small venue, boasting six appetisers and 13 mains. The quality of the food also looked a cut above the standard pub grub fair with a curated menu offering a twist on traditional offerings. I was very tempted by the pork schnitzel and beef burger dishes.
As I was in a Scottish-themed pub, I had to go for the ‘Highland haggis’ and chips. Plus, I was told by the bar staff that it was “banging”. It came with swede terrine, beer pickled onion and trotter jus.
The Highland Haggis (Image: Samuel Port)
The Haggis came tastefully arranged on a small round plate. The meat was so delicate it fell apart as I plunged my fork into it. The oaty meat dish was rich with flavour, complemented by warm syrupy broth of the trotter jus and the piquant kick of the pickles. The chips, which were a bit steep at £5, seemed like they’d been freshly prepared in-house and had a charred texture.
The dish only took about 20 minutes to arrive at my table. By that time, I had discussed all sorts of topics with the other punters, including: Bruce Lee and martial arts, after seeing that one of the punters had tattooed Lee’s face onto the back of his palm; all the famous people who had visited the pub from the nearby studios, including David Jason, who had been filming A Touch of Frost many years ago; and I spoke to a man who went viral online for feeding his dogs mussels at the pub, he’d had a painting made of the event.
I wanted to stay for longer and sink another few beers. A wonderful experience.
The chips which came to £5(Image: Samuel Port)
The bill
Tegernseer Hell – £6.50Highland Haggis – £13Chips – £5Total: £24.50
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