Pub comes back fighting to be named Britain's best

Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton bought the pub two years after it was closed by its previous owner

While hundreds of pubs are shutting down due to rising costs, one Leeds boozer has bucked the trend to be named the best in Britain despite only opening in April.

The Highland Laddie has taken the number one spot in the inaugural list of the 100 Best Pubs in Britain, published by the Good Food Guide.

The venue, which dates back to the 1920s, was reopened by Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton after being shut by its previous owner two years ago.

Reacting to the news, Mr Pullan said: "When I was told were put at number one, I nearly fell over. I felt like crying."

Previously called The Highland, the pub on Cavendish Street closed in 2023 after decades of continuous trading.

Having spotted the venue for sale at the beginning of the year, Mr Pullan and his partner, who also own the city's Empire Cafe, took a gamble on reopening it.

The 42-year-old, who used to drink there when he was younger, said he could not believe it when he saw it was being sold.

"I went and had a chat with the landlords and they were fixed on turning it into a vape shop or convenience store, apparently they'd had thousands of applications," he said.

"I said, 'look, I want to bring it back to a traditional boozer with some exceptional food'."

Mr Pullan credits that pledge as the reason to its success, adding: "That's it. Honestly, there's no other science to it.

"I always said, make it a proper pub where people can come for a pint. They'll come in and see the oysters on the bar and they'll say 'oh, what's that'.

"Or maybe they'll have a shepherd's pie and it tastes amazing and say 'wow, this is something else' and that's the vibe we've gone for here."

The Good Food Guide said the Highland Laddie had "nailed the drinking and dining side" of running a pub

A chef himself, Mr Pullan works alongside his two head chefs to make all the food which is served up in-house, right down to the pastry for the sausage rolls.

He said what they had created was a venue where people could come in with their dog while sat next to someone who might be having a "lovely lunch with oysters and steak".

He explains: "When you're in the city centre it's transient, you're going to get all sorts of people in.

"You might have parents who've come to see their kids at uni, blokes in high-vis who are popping in for a pint after work, or those who come here because they've heard it's a real food destination.

"You've got to be there for everybody and cater for them all."

It was these reasons that led to judges picking out the venue as the best in Britain.

Adam Hyman, owner of The Good Food Guide, said the venue had been serving customers for 100 years and continued to "offer exactly what a pub should".

"It's somewhere for someone to come in for a solitary pint, as well as a place to enjoy a proper meal with seasonal ingredients and pub classics served with warm hospitality," he said.

"It ticks all the boxes."

The couple have sacrificed holidays to put all their efforts into their business

But turning around the Highland Laddie has required some graft, Mr Pullan said.

The couple, who have three children aged nine months, three and 11, have not been on holiday for five years.

"There isn't much time but I have an exceptional team around me and that makes it possible," he said.

The hard work has paid off. With bookings up until December, there is not much down time but Mr Pullan says the love for the job is worth it.

"I always say 'eyes up, eyes up' when anyone walks up in, it doesn't matter if there's no one in there, it's eyes up 'and say 'hi you ok, what can I get you'.

"Immediately then everyone's relaxed and that's what a proper pub is about."