Here’s something I bet you never thought you’d see — a restaurant in Springfield, Mo., has been named the best British eatery outside United Kingdom.
The Telegraph, a major newspaper in England, bestowed that honor to Farmers Gastropub. Here’s what The Telegraph said about the restaurant, just south of downtown Springfield:
Described by its nominator as “a little piece of Britain in the heart of America”, this welcoming gastropub was highly commended in our last competition and this year managed to scoop the prize for top restaurant. We imagine its 26 draught beers will be flowing freely to celebrate.
According to the News-Leader newspaper in Springfield, owner Bill Griffiths is a former resident of the United Kingdom. He moved to Springfield so his wife could be closer to her family.
The News-Leader also gave a few details about the Telegraph’s honor:
The paper has an expatriate edition aimed at U.K citizens living elsewhere in the world. Griffiths registered the Farmers Gastropub with The Telegraph after he opened the doors, but believes he knows who nominated it for the annual honor.
“I think David Crump, an Englishman who used to own the Global Fayre business here, was the first to vote for us,” Griffiths said. “After we opened in 2009, this fellow walked in with a British accent and said ‘Am I dreaming?’”
The News-Leader says the restaurant has gained customers from the Mother Road. Farmers Gastropub sits just a few blocks south of the East St. Louis Street alignment of Route 66:
Route 66 also has helped deliver a steady stream of expatriates to his restaurant’s doorstep.
“Route 66 is popular with Brits who come here to drive the Mother Road,” Griffiths said, referring to the historic highway that swings through the heart of Springfield.
Expect more Britons to patronize the restaurant during the upcoming tourist season. Those in the Route 66 tourism industry expect a surge of UK travelers after the highly rated “Billy Connolly’s Route 66” aired on British television last fall.
According to the restaurant’s website:
We’re a friendly, unpretentious neighborhood pub that serves good food. Really good food in fact.
The on e thing that drives the creation of FARMERS GASTROPUB is the absolute and passionate resolve that good food is not rocket science, and that it does not have to cost the earth.
FARMERS GASTROPUB is one of Springfield, Missouri’s only restaurants and pubs dedicated to fresh, local, sustainable, and natural/organic dining and drinking. We feature ingredients from local farmers. We buy supplies, to the extent possible, that are sustainable and recyclable.