22 NEW BIB GOURMANDS IN THE MICHELIN GUIDE GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND 2020

Ahead of the launch of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2020, Michelin is delighted to announce this year’s Bib Gourmand awards. Named after Bibendum – the Michelin Man – the Bib Gourmand distinction highlights restaurants which offer ‘good quality, good value cooking’.

“Bib Gourmands are not just about value for money – the pricing must go hand-in-hand with quality cooking. In uncertain times, our readers are looking for ways to spend their money wisely and our Bib Gourmands promise a good meal at a great price,” says Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides.

He continues, “Our Michelin Bib Gourmand may be less famous than our Michelin Stars but this distinction has a big following among our readers. Chefs are proud to be able to offer great food at affordable prices and are striving to earn recognition for this. Our Michelin Inspectors are always on the look out for new Bibs and have been excited to discover many hidden gems this year.”

There are 22 new Bib Gourmands in the 2020 Michelin Guide, bringing the total to 132. Three new restaurants join the London Bib Gourmand selection. Bancone focuses on freshly made pasta and offers incredible value for money considering its central location. Two Lights in Shoreditch offers playful modern American dishes, while Berenjak in Soho is from the same stable as Gymkhana and Bubbledogs and is modelled on the hole-in-the-wall kebab shops of Tehran.

These restaurants are joined by 11 others across England. A number of establishments serving small plates make the list: quirky hotel eatery The Set in Brighton; BOX-E, a compact, pared-back place set within a converted shipping container in Bristol; laid-back wine shop and bistro, the Beckford Bottle Shop, in Bath; rustic former joinery grain in Colchester; Spanish restaurant Pilgrim in Liverpool’s trendy Duke Street Market; friendly little café Violets on the vibrant historic quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne; and hidden gem Arya in the centre of Ramsgate.

Rebecca Burr, Director of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, comments: “While there’s no set formula for a Bib, we have seen a trend for great value sharing plates this year. While many diners still like to celebrate occasions with a traditional three course meal, less structured menus are now also on the rise, as guests search for more flexible ways of dining.”

Two pubs receive a ‘BG’: The stylish Duncombe Arms in Ellastone and the Wiveton Bell in Wiveton. Sardine Factory on the quayside in Looe and pretty Hitchen’s Barn in Oakham, which offers fiercely seasonal dishes, are both also added to the 2020 guide with a Bib Gourmand. Three restaurants join the Bib Gourmand selection for Scotland: Tom and Michaela Kitchin’s modern dining pub, the Bonnie Badger in Gullane; sweet little neighbourhood spot, Merienda in Stockbridge, Edinburgh; and stylish Provender in the lovely Borders town of Melrose, a family run affair. Balloo House – a pub in a characterful former farmhouse in Killinchy – joins the Northern Ireland selection.

The Republic of Ireland has four new Bibs. Circa in Terenure is a laid-back neighbourhood spot run by four friends; riverside Thyme in Athlone sees natural flavours drawn out of regional ingredients; Land to Sea in Dingle focuses on meats from the surrounding fields and fish from local waters; and stripped-back bistro Uno Mas in Dublin offers flavour-packed Spanish dishes.

The full selection of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, including all Michelin-Starred restaurants, will be unveiled at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham, London, on Monday, October 7.