A dining pub nestled between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons has been named in a list of the best gastropubs in the UK.

The Felin Fach Griffin, which sits just off the A470 between Brecon and Bronllys, has come out 34th on a list of the 50 best gastropubs across the country.

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list for 2022 was revealed last week. Impressively, ‘The Griffin’ is placed as the second best performing pub in Wales, pipped to the post by only The Hardwick in Abergavenny.

Top 50 Gastropubs was conceived in 2009 with the purpose of recognising the hardworking individuals in the gastropubs industry.

A gastropub, by definition, is a pub that specializes in serving high-quality food.

The annual list is created by collecting votes from more than 100 industry professionals who are key people in the hospitality industry. The judges come from leading pub businesses, editors of media brands and food writers who are geographically spread across the UK to ensure no regional bias.

The Griffin is operated by hospitality business Eatdrinkslee, which is ran by Monmouthshire brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin.

The business has grown from one site - The Felin Fach Griffin in 2000 - to three over the last two decades, with The Gurnard’s Head and The Old Coastguard in west Cornwall joining the fold.

All three of the pubs have won a multitude of awards, with The Griffin having now been included on the Top 50 list for two consecutive years.

The Griffin was also named the best restaurant in the inaugural Brecon Beacons Tourism awards and was named the Dining Pub of the Year in Wales for the seventh time in eight years in the 2018 Good Pub Guide.

Edmund Inkin, one of the brothers who heads the team at The Griffin, said:

“We’re just delighted to be in the list of the Top 50 Gastropubs. It’s voted for by people who really know the industry and recognise what it takes to make a pub that does great food.

“This is a list in which we were an ever-present for many years, so it’s properly rewarding for our team to get back in it last year and hold our place this year.

“And what Charlie and I find particularly gratifying about this list is that it shows how consistent we’ve been able to be over the years, the odd blip and peak notwithstanding.

“21 years is a hell of a long time to be at the top table.”

The Griffin’s food menu reflects the land that surrounds it, with typical supper menu boasting fish from Cornwall as well as Welsh beef and lamb, game from local estates, and cheeses from world renowned dairies.

The feel of pub is one of warmth, welcome and relaxation. The team pride themselves on their support of the local community, sourcing their produce with sustainability in mind, and setting their prices for their regular customers, not the incoming tourists.

“With Nick Evans at the helm of our kitchen since May 2021, and general manager Julie Bell building a team that really ‘gets’ service, we feel the team’s right at the top of its form at the moment - and we’re looking forward to re-opening,” said Edmund.

The pub re-opened its door last Friday after 10 days of painting, mending and improvements.

Edmund added: “After an interesting 2020 and 2021, we’re never going to make the mistake of thinking we’ll have an ordinary year again - so we’re aiming to be ready for almost anything.”

To see The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list for 2022 in full, please visit www.top50gastropubs.com