THE team who have just taken over Bishopwood’s Candlelight Inn, on the Blackdown Hills above Wellington, have been named in the Good Food Guide’s top 100 British pubs in which to eat for the second time in three years.

The Cotley Inn, in Wambrook, came in at number 80 in this year’s list after also being named in 2023, a year after becoming Visit England's Best Pub.

The Cotley is owned by Maddie Beaumont and Ben Porter, who are reopening the Candlelight Inn from December 1 after it had been empty since May.

Despite the doom and gloom picture of Britain’s pubs, with closures currently averaging one per day in 2025, The Good Food Guide is celebrating the nation’s thriving appetite for ‘genuine pubs with proper food and proper beer’, and the growing number of venues delivering it.

The guide’s editor, Chloë Hamilton, said: “We went searching for pubs that nail the drinking and dining side of the equation.

“It turns out the harder you look the more you find, and they are not all hidden away in the Cotswolds.

“This year’s list also demonstrates the importance pubs play in community.”

Tracklement marketing director Liz Cuff said: “After the success of Britain’s Best Sunday Roasts in 2024, we are delighted to support The Good Food Guide in celebrating Britain’s 100 best pubs 2025.

“The fabulous but approachable pub food on show throughout this list goes hand in hand with our award-winning condiments.”

Founder of The Food Heroes, Simon Martin, said: “We are delighted by the groundswell of support for Britain’s best pubs during these tough times for our industry.”

The Cotley Inn was named in the top 100 list after being visited anonymously by one of the guide’s 30 inspectors, who include writers, editors, and academics.