Your favourite pub, café, restaurant and hotel in Norfolk revealed

Louisa Baldwin

Published: 10:15 AM September 15, 2021

Updated: 7:59 AM September 16, 2021

Richard Bainbridge is the chef owner of Benedicts in Norwich, which has been revealed as the favourite restaurant of our readers. - Credit: Katja Bainbridge

We asked readers to vote for their favourite Norfolk pub, restaurant, café and hotel — and now the winners can be revealed.

To mark National Hospitality Day this Saturday, September 18, this newspaper published a poll to find the county's favourite eateries and hotels — with all nominations and voting being done by our readers.

National Hospitality Day, a UK-wide initiative, has been organised by Hospitality Action, The Drinks Trust, Springboard and Licensed Trade Charity after a hugely challenging 18 months for the industry.

Customers are urged to book a table on Saturday, and it is also a chance for businesses to hold fundraising activities for the four charities above.

You can also donate at nationalhospitalityday.org.uk/donation

Here are your Norfolk Hospitality Heroes winners:

An afternoon tea from Heydon Tea Rooms and picture is the scones with jam

An afternoon tea from Heydon Tea Rooms - Credit: DONNA-LOUISE BISHOP

1. Your favourite café

Winner: Heydon Village Tea Room, Heydon

Other finalists:

Munchies, Great Yarmouth
The Beach Hut, Great Yarmouth
The Feed, Norwich
Sahara Café, Norwich
Courtyard Café, Pensthorpe
Breakers Café, Cromer
Café on the Corner, Great Yarmouth
Prima Rosa, Salhouse
The Merchants House, Norwich

Cindy Halls, who runs the Heydon Village Tea Room with partner Karl, said: "It feels incredible that with all the wonderful hospitality businesses in Norfolk we have been chosen as one of the top few.

"We make everything in-house, our location is second to none and I like to think our customer service is fantastic."

The Assembly House Picture: ANTONY KELLY

The Assembly House - Credit: Antony Kelly

2. Your favourite hotel

Winner: The Assembly House, Norwich

Other finalists:

Hotel Wroxham, Wroxham
The Imperial Hotel, Great Yarmouth
Pier Hotel, Gorleston
The Ostrich Inn, South Creake

Sam Matthews, general manager at The Assembly House, said: "It is fantastic news that after the last 18 months or so we are still in people's minds.

"We are currently developing four brand new rooms on the east wing of the house."

The pork Stroganoff at the Buckingham Arms. - Credit: Archant

3. Your favourite pub

Winner: The Bucks Arms, Blickling

Other finalists:

Bar 1, Gorleston
White Horse, Neatishead
The Crown, Fakenham
Cross Keys, Dilham
Hunworth Bell, Hunworth
Rising Sun, Coltishall
The Lion, Thurne
The Rose (Queens Road), Norwich
Fox and Hounds, Great Moulton

Speaking about the pandemic, Nicola Colchester, of the Colchester Inns Group behind The Bucks Arms, said: "It has been a whirlwind, but we can't thank our customers enough who supported us and sat out in the freezing cold and continued to see us whatever the weather."

Benedicts restaurant in Norwich. - Credit: Katja Bainbridge

4. Your favourite restaurant

Winner: Benedicts, Norwich

Other finalists:

Kings Arms, Fleggburgh
Haggle, Norwich
Burgh Hall, Great Yarmouth
Chico's, Great Yarmouth
Farmyard, Norwich
Queens Head, Wymondham
River Green, Trowse
The Waffle House, Norwich
Socius, Burnham Market

Richard Bainbridge, chef owner of Benedicts, said: "The thing for us has been turning the tragic last 18 months into a massive positive and we have taken stock of the business and our work life balance.

"We are very lucky that Benedicts has won bits over the years and it always means so much more when they are voted for by the public."