The Greyhound is England’s top restaurant

Liz Nicholls

Beaconsfield

The Greyhound in Beaconsfield has been named the AA’s Restaurant of the Year (England), one of the most prestigious awards a restaurant can get.

Every year the AA independently inspects hundreds of restaurants across the British Isles. This award recognises cuisine of a ‘truly excellent standard’, as well as innovation and a high standard of hospitality.

Winning this award ranks the restaurant and pub among the best in the country, alongside previous winners including Tom Kerridge’s Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Sorrel in Surrey and the Fordwich Arms in Kent.

The Greyhound team received the award at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel in London. Hosted by AA Hotel & Hospitality Services, the star-studded evening was presented by BAFTA-nominated television and radio broadcaster Angellica Bell, widely recognised for her victory on Celebrity MasterChef. The night celebrated the most outstanding hotels, spas, restaurants, inns and B&Bs, along with the people who drive them forward.

With nearly 900 guests, the event highlighted the very best in British hospitality, honouring achievements across 15 categories.

Co-proprietor Daniel Crump says: “When we opened in 2019 – and were closed again by coronavirus shortly afterwards – the possibility of receiving one of the most esteemed awards a restaurant in the UK can get felt so far away. This means so much to us and the team and we’re so honoured to receive this recognition from the AA.

“We are so proud of how hard our Greyhound family works day in, day out, front of house and in the kitchen, to make sure that our guests have the best possible experience from the moment they walk in the door, and it’s phenomenal to see their skills, passion and talent recognised at a national level.

“But we also wane to thank our wonderful guests, without whom we wouldn’t still be here. Seeing a restaurant full of happy guests is ultimately what drives us to do better every day.”

“Seeing a restaurant full of happy guests is ultimately what drives us to do better every day.”

Simon Numphud, MD at AA Media, expressed his pride in the resilience and creativity shown by the UK’s hospitality sector in 2024: “This incredible celebration is a true testament to the strength and innovation within our industry. The dedication and excellence demonstrated by all the hospitality teams have been nothing short of inspiring. Congratulations to the Greyhound team, all the winners, nominees, and new Rosette holders for their remarkable contributions.”

The Greyhound Pub & Dining is a Grade II-listed, 17th century former coaching inn in the heart of Beaconsfield. Owners, husband and wife Daniel Crump MCA and Margriet Vandezande-Crump, previously worked in some of London’s finest restaurants, including Michelin-starred Petrus and Trinity, three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, as well as the Oxford Blue in Old Windsor.

They reopened The Greyhound, their first solo venture, in December 2019. The pub and restaurant serves modern British food with a diverse wine list and local beers and ales. It also holds two AA rosettes and was recently named a Diners’ Choice award winner by OpenTable, as well as Buckinghamshire’s most romantic restaurant.


Latest posts

Breaking bard with Chiltern Shakespeare Company

Round & About

Beaconsfield

Enjoy The Comedy Of Errors thanks to the Chiltern Shakespeare Company this month at Hall Barn in Beaconsfield

Chiltern Shakespeare Company was founded in 1986 by Michael and Aviva Wiseman, residents of Beaconsfield who were prominently involved in local theatrical activities.

Their mission, to the this day, is to deliver the Bard’s plays featuring some of the finest amateur local actors, and to encourage children to participate in plays, bringing the sometimes dry study of the text at school to life.

From its early productions in a Beaconsfield school hall the company graduated in 1989 to the lovely open air setting of Hall Barn, a stately home on the outskirts of Beaconsfield, by kind permission of the Burnham family.

The company celebrated their 20th summer season at Hall Barn in 2008 with their third production or A Midsummer’s Night Dream, followed in 2009 by Romeo & Juliet. In total CSC has now staged 28 productions, including the majority in the open air at Hall Barn.

A further key objective of the company was – and remains – the raising of funds for selected charities from any surplus funds generated by their productions. This is made by the efforts of the company’s members who give so much of their free time (no one is paid at all) and the generosity of Hall Barn’s owners who continue to host the events on such favourable terms. A performance at Hall Barn is made complete by booking a delicious picnic (with or without prosecco) to enjoy before the play in the glorious grounds.

The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins separated at birth. Antipholus and Dromio (both from Syracuse), arrive in Ephesus, unknowingly the home of their identical twin brothers (also named Antipholus and Dromio). Hilarity ensues as mistaken identities lead to confusion, accusations, and romantic entanglements. Through a series of misunderstandings, the twins and their servants create chaos until a final reunion brings everything to a happy end.

There will be 10 performances on the evenings of Wednesday 5th, Thursday 6th, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June plus a matinee on Saturday 8th, the Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Friday 14th, Saturday 15th and again a matinee on Saturday 15th. Evening performances start at 7.45pm with the matinees at 1.45pm.

There are a range of tickets from £15-£25 depending on your chosen performance and age. Concessions are available for over-65s and students in full-time education on Wednesday performances and on both matinees.

All proceeds will go to The Ducklings Trust, a charity set up to raise money for equipment and help improve the environment in the maternity units at Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe. This fundraising continues to help ensure the units are the best birth environment they can be for families and staff.

As well as organising fundraising events, contributions from the public are very welcome. To find out about The Ducklings Trust please visit The Ducklings Trust

Diwali recipes & takeaway competition

Liz Nicholls

Beaconsfield

November is Diwali month so what better time to shine a light on these recipes from Atul Kochhar…? You can also win a takeaway from one of his Bucks restaurants

Diwali is one of India’s most important festivals – a time to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.

Mattan (meat) pepper fry

This curry – a common recipe among the Christians of Kerala, where it is most likely made with mutton or goat – has very little gravy.

Ingredients:
• 600g boneless lamb rump or neck fillet
• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger
• Four garlic cloves
• Two onions
• Two teaspoons of black peppercorns, to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves
• 200ml water
• Two teaspoons of white wine vinegar
• One heaped tablespoon of coconut oil
• 5 fresh or dried curry leaves
• Two teaspoons of onion paste
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• Sea salt

Method:
1. Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, a large heavy-based saucepan with a lid, a sieve and a large sauté or frying pan.
2. Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces, trimming and discarding any fat, then set aside. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Peel, halve and thinly slice the onions. Put the peppercorns in a spice grinder, or use a pestle and mortar to finely grind or crush. Rinse and chop enough coriander leaves to make about 1 tablespoon.
3. Put the lamb, water, vinegar, ½ teaspoon of the freshly ground pepper and ½ teaspoon of the salt in the saucepan. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave the meat to simmer a to a slow boil for 8 minutes. Strain the meat, reserving the cooking liquid.
4. Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil over a medium-high heat in the sauté pan. Add onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt, and stir until the onions are lightly coloured. Add the onion paste and turmeric and stir in for 30 seconds.
5. Add the meat and stir in half the reserved cooking liquid, which will be absorbed and evaporate quite quickly. Add the remaining liquid a little at a time, stirring, until it mostly evaporates. With the last addition, the gravy should almost be like a thin paste coating the lamb and the lamb should be tender.
6. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the freshly ground pepper, adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and continue stirring until all the liquid evaporates. Sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon of the ground pepper and the chopped coriander leaves just before serving.

Panch Phoron Gobi Aloo
(Bengali cauliflower & potatoes)

Here’s a variation of the curry house favourite, gobi aloo. This is from the coastal region of Bengal; you might have never have had this classic combo with pickling spices and final finish of fresh ginger.

Ingredients:
• 12 well-scrubbed small new potatoes (see Atul’s tip, below)
• Two thin short green chillies
• Two garlic cloves
• Two tablespoons mustard oil
• 1¼ teaspoons panch phoron 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 425ml water
• ½ head of cauliflower, about 400g
• One lemon
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Sea salt

Method:
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment. You need a large sauté or frying pan with a lid.

1. Quarter the potatoes lengthways. Remove the stalks from the chillies, if necessary, then halve lengthways. Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
2. Heat the mustard oil over a medium-high heat in the pan. Add the garlic and stir around to flavour, it doesn’t need to colour. Add the chillies and panch phoron. Stir until the seeds crackle.
3. Add the potatoes, coriander, chilli powder and turmeric. Season with salt and stir for 30 seconds to cook the spices so the potatoes get coated. Watch closely so the spices do not burn.
4. Stir in the water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and leave the potatoes to bubble for 12 minutes, or until they are three-quarters cooked.
5. Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, discarding outer leaves & core. Squeeze one tablespoon lemon juice. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Rinse and chop enough coriander to make about 1½ tablespoons. Set all these aside separately.
6. When the potatoes are almost cooked, stir in cauliflower and cook over a high heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both are tender, but the cauliflower is still holding its shape.
7. Stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the ginger and 1 tablespoon of the chopped coriander, and add salt, if necessary. Sprinkle with the remaining ginger & coriander just before serving.

Atul’s time-saving tip

I buy well-scrubbed small new potatoes when cooking this dish, so all I have to do is quarter them. If your potatoes are larger, however, cut the potatoes into 1cm dice so they cook quickly.

Hyderabadi Sour Fish Khatti Machhi (Serves four)

This is a very simple recipe, and one of the quickest to cook in the book. I’ve deliberately left the skin on the sea bass fillets. I know a lot of cooks would be tempted to remove the skin, but I enjoy eating fish with the skin, and it saves you time when preparing the ingredients. In Hindi, khatti means ‘sour’, and the sharpness of this recipe comes from the tomatoes and a little lemon juice.

Ingredients:
• 4 large sea bass fillets, skin on
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste 
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds 
• 350ml passata
• 10 fresh or dried curry leaves
• sea salt
• fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish

Method:
Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a non-reactive bowl, a saucepan and a large non-stick sauté or frying pan.

1. Cut the fillets in half, then place them in the bowl. Squeeze in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and turmeric. Season with salt and use a spoon to gently stir together so all the pieces are well coated with the paste-like marinade. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the gravy.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the saucepan. Add the fenugreek seeds and fry until they become darker in colour. Add the passata and curry leaves. Season with salt, reduce the heat to medium and leave the gravy to simmer while you fry the fish.
3. Heat enough vegetable oil to thinly cover the bottom of the frying pan over a high heat. Add the fillets coated in the marinade, skin side down, and fry for 2 minutes, or until the skin is browned.
4. Turn the fillets over and reduce the heat to medium. Pour the gravy into the pan around the fillets and leave to simmer until the flesh is opaque and cooked through. Take care not to over-cook them. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve.

Atul’s time-saving tip

If I hadn’t included passata in this recipe, it would have been necessary to blanch, peel and de-seed the tomatoes before puréeing and sieving them. This is a much quicker way to achieve the sour tomato gravy.

Atul’s restaurant & takeaway competitions

Each of Atul Kochhar’s award-winning Bucks restaurants’ styles are reflected through the takeaway options, cooked in the restaurant kitchens to the same exacting standards as the dishes eaten in the restaurant experience in the comfort of their own homes. Takeaways are ordered for online via each website for collection only – but they will also be available via Deliveroo too.

Vaasu, Marlow

Known for its stunning pan-Indian food, Vaasu’s takeaway collection is available to collect from the restaurant, comprising a selection of highlights from the a la carte menu. Choose from the likes of Kashmiri chicken tikka marinated with fennel and saffron, finished in the clay oven for results impossible to achieve at home; Goan fish or prawn curry; braised lamb Parsi curry with sweet apricots, brown onion and coriander korma; and much more.  

A selection of sweet treats are also offered, including crispy apple jalebi scented with cardamom and saffron, Atul’s special cheesy chocolate fondue, chocolate brownie with fresh berry salsa and vanilla cream, gulab jamun and rice pudding crowned with lemon jam and raspberry dust. 

Hawkyns, Amersham

A destination Indian restaurant in the picturesque town of Old Amersham, Hawkyns offers sensational cuisine to takeaway, available for collection. Here the takeaway menu comprises a broad selection of highlights plus a concise drinks selection and set menus especially devised by chef Atul Kochhar. Set menu bundles include a meat bundle for two, a veg bundle for two and a vegan bundle for two, all featuring a generous selection of starters, mains, sides, breads and desserts. Expect the likes of butter chicken and railway lamb curry; paneer tikka masala and Bombay aloo; or vegetable jalfrezi and carrot and beans foogath.  

Riwaz, Beaconsfield

Celebrating the culinary history and traditions of India, Riwaz’s takeaway menu is available to collect from the restaurant. The menu features a broad selection of menu highlights, including tandoor-grilled king prawns in Ajwain, chilli, garlic and mustard oil; saag gosht with Welsh slow-cooked lamb; Dum biryani with chicken, vegetables or lamb, and much more. Various set menu bundles are also available, including a meat bundle for two, a veg bundle for two and a vegan bundle for two, all featuring a generous selection of starters, mains, sides, breads and desserts.  

We’ve teamed up with Atul’s team to offer five lucky winners a takeaway. NB you must be local to Bucks for collection. Click here to enter

For more info about Atul Kochhar & his award-winning restaurants please visit Atul Kochhar.