A DALES pub has been crowned Champion of Champions in a national awards ceremony hosted by rural TV presenter Adam Henson.

The Clarendon, in Hebden, an 18th century country pub, was crowned at the Eat Game Awards 2023, which were held in London.

The awards marked the culmination of a national search to find businesses and individuals championing the use of British wild game. More than 11,000 votes were cast by the public, with the shortlisted businesses and individuals in each category going forward to be reviewed by a panel of expert judges.

The Eat Game Awards are organised and run by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation’s (BASC) Eat Game initiative, which promotes the nutrition, taste and sustainability benefits of British wild game.

The ceremony saw the winners of eight categories announced. Categories included best small retailer, best restaurant/pub and best game butcher.

The Clarendon’s chef owner, Lionel Strub, and head chef, Matt Hind, were joint finalists in the Best Game Cook category of this year’s awards. After missing out on that category’s top spot, the pair were delighted to discover later on in the ceremony that they had been awarded the night’s top accolade.

Lionel Strub said: “I couldn’t be more proud. I’m just so thrilled to win because I just want to show the world how amazing game is and how you can be successful using game and selling game. It’s such a sustainable food, nature’s table is everything.”

Annette Woolcock, Eat Game Awards co-ordinator and BASC’s head of wild food, said: “The steering group was unanimous on awarding the champion of champions to the Clarendon Inn. Lionel and Matt were finalists for the best cook category this year and the Clarendon was a finalist for best pub last year. Their skills for cooking game are only matched by their passion and knowledge. The group also recognised their passion for the awards themselves and the enthusiasm they put into them.”

Adam Henson, awards host and Country Food Trust patron, said: “Once again, the Eat Game Awards have exceeded all expectations with some fantastic individuals and businesses being showcased. The standard of entries grows each year. I was delighted to once again play a part in giving those who have worked so hard the recognition they so deserve.”

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Eat Game Awards. All entries were nominated via the website, before the public voted on each category, whittling down the nominees to those who made it to the final.