A quaint village pub famed for its food and charming atmosphere has scooped a major award.
The Bird in Hand, nestled in the small village of Mayford near Woking was crowned the best restaurant in Surrey at the British Restaurant Awards, despite stiff competition.
The local gem clinched the title for its ‘cosy atmosphere and delicious food‘ at the esteemed awards ceremony, where patrons and locals cast their votes.
Co-owner Michael Cumberland, his partner Imogen and their devoted team have garenerd a strong following in Mayford and throughout Surrey, which lies south of London.
He told SurreyLive:”We’re here to serve people good food and give them a good experience. The service aspect of the industry is hugely important and I think there’s a lot to be said that our customer base voted for us.
“Obviously we get reviews left right and centre on all sorts of platforms like TripAdvisor, OpenTable and Google and we see the lovely positive comments that we get through those.
“But for people to go out of their way to register on a website in order to vote for us it’s a really nice feeling. We enjoy giving people the best experience possible and it’s nice to see that reciprocated.”
With the recent purchase of the pub’s freehold, the owners have given both staff and customers even more reason to celebrate, showcasing the success of independent businesses.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Michael has diligently worked towards garnering such high praise for his establishment. Boasting a cosy and rustic charm, the pub offers an array of dining options including light lunches, small plates, sharing platters, and hearty main courses.
Its delightful garden area provides the perfect spot for summer socialising.
Michael added: “We do aim for that top tier level of food; offering consistently doing daily specials and changing the menu in line with seasons. Just really honest pub fare that evidently our customers enjoy and they keep coming back for which is amazing.”
He praised his head chef, saying: “Our head chef Liam is incredible. He’s built such a loyal team in the kitchen and the retention in there is great. The team works so well together, and they know each other inside and out.”
The pub prides itself on using local ingredients to keep their offerings fresh and authentic.
Further elaborating on their commitment to quality, Michael said: “We try and keep it as local as we can. We get daily fish deliveries, our meat deliveries are daily, everything we do is fresh. We don’t skimp on quality. Our ethos is that fresh is always best and it’s evident in the food that we serve.”
In an era where many pubs face closure due to high rents and brewery constraints, especially post-pandemic, this success story stands out.
Now in control of the freehold, Michael and his team are looking ahead, possibly towards an exciting refurbishment.
In a statement to GetSurrey, Michael said: “Being an independent amongst the giants is actually quite a nice feeling especially when it’s a successful pub.
“It isn’t an easy industry to be in for a couple of different reasons and we’ve been challenged left right and centre but we’ve always managed to see the best of every opportunity, develop and move forward.”