Couple celebrate business being in top 100 gastropubs

A PUB near Henley has been recognised as one of the best gastropubs in the UK.

The Golden Ball in Lower Assendon was ranked in 61st place in Estrella Damm’s Top 100 list.

It is the second award for the Brakspear pub, which is run by husband and wife Ben and Priya Watson, who together have more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.

They both trained in classical French restaurants and have worked in restaurants including The Square, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Gymkhana and Core by Clare Smyth.

The couple moved into the gastropub with their daughter, Lily, two, in November 2022.

Mr Watson, 33, is the head chef, while his wife, 31, works front of house.

He said they were delighted to receive the surprise accolade.

Mr Watson said: “It’s really nice because I’m from Henley and have come back home and we’ve won something.

“We found out that we were on the list in December when they sent us a letter of congratulations.

“We were expecting to be in the nineties, so we got much further up the list than we had thought. It’s a big step in the right direction.” The couple’s à la carte set lunch and tasting menus comprise seasonal and local produce including lamb, with prices starting at £13.

The Watsons intertwine Indian and British flavours, showcasing each other’s heritage, such as cod accompanied by potato chaat, a spiced cauliflower and tamarind sauce.

Mr Watson said: “Our food is fairly unusual. These days you have to do something different if you want to carve out your own little niche. People love that our heritage is featured on the menu.” The Golden Ball was also recognised in the Michelin Guide’s best pubs in Oxfordshire in December.

The reviewer said: “An endearing couple bring plenty of charm to this pretty, cream-washed former pub in the rural village of Lower Assendon.

“Priya provides a natural warmth in the friendly service, while Ben incorporates Priya’s Indian heritage into his modern British dishes.

“A local, seasonal approach adds to the appeal too, with chicken and beef from the surrounding area featuring in cooking that is confidently executed and suitably satisfying.”

The couple hope to add to their honours in future but prefer to concentrate on attracting more customers.

Mr Watson said: “It would be nice to get a bit higher up in the list next year but being busy is our number one priority.

“All the awards are nice but it’s pretty pointless if you don’t have people coming in the door.

“If we can just keep going the way it is and getting steadily busier with lots of repeat business from happy locals and taking on new customers, then that’s all we can ask for.

“The award points eyes at you and gets you rubbing shoulders with people who are far more established than we are. We’re constantly investing and reinvesting money here, so we just need to keep going. We are doing a bit of work in the garden and have a gardener who’s putting in a new hedge.

“This is our first place and we’ve got decades’ worth of ideas but you have got to go slow and steady. We’re really happy with how it’s going and we hope that it stays the same.”

The couple took over from Stephen Luscombe who ran Luscombes at the Golden Ball for 15 years until he left, blaming rising costs and staff shortages.

When Nestor Castillo and his wife Alicja retired in September 2023, Mr Luscombe took over the former Café Buendia premises in Bell Street, renaming it Luscombes.