Three Wiltshire pubs named in Good Food Guide's top 25 for 2026

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 15:29 · Archive

The Compasses Inn near Tisbury was ranked sixth in The Good Food Guide's 100 Best Pubs 2026 list and won the Readers' Choice Award.

Three Wiltshire pubs have featured in The Good Food Guide's 100 Best Pubs 2026 list, announced on 2 November, with two securing places in the national top ten.

The Compasses Inn in Chicksgrove, near Tisbury, achieved the highest ranking at sixth place. The 14th-century thatched pub has been run by Ben Maschler and his wife Jane since 2017. According to the guide, the pub functions as the 'community's living room', with local residents encouraged to swap homegrown vegetables and freshly shot game for credit behind the bar.

The pub also won the guide's Readers' Choice Award, with the victory decided by hundreds of customer votes. Ben Maschler said: 'We couldn't be more thrilled to have won this award, particularly as we approach our tenth year here.' He praised the pub's customers, describing them as 'the most fantastic' and noting that their support meant 'so much to us'.

The Beckford Arms in Fonthill Gifford secured the second Wiltshire place in the top ten, ranking seventh nationally. The Hop Pole Inn at Limpley Stoke was also recognised, placed 23rd on the list. This inclusion marked recognition for a pub that was saved through a community effort to prevent its redevelopment.

The Good Food Guide's annual ranking celebrates Britain's best pubs for food, drink, hospitality and community spirit. The Compasses Inn features an inglenook fireplace and dark-wood booths, with views of surrounding fields from its garden. Head chef Dave Winter has been with the team for nine years and prepares a daily-changing menu.

How it is being reported

• Two Wiltshire pubs named among Britain's top 10 in 2026Two Wiltshire pubs have been counted among the top 10 in the country in a prestigious new list — with a third close behind.Gazette & Herald · 4 Nov, 15:00
• Two Wiltshire pubs named among Britain's top 10 in 2026Two Wiltshire pubs have been counted among the top 10 in the country in a prestigious new list — with a third close behind.Wiltshire Times · 4 Nov, 15:00
• Two Wiltshire pubs named among Britain's top 10 in 2026Two Wiltshire pubs have been counted among the top 10 in the country in a prestigious new list — with a third close behind.Swindon Advertiser · 4 Nov, 15:00
• Salisbury pub named sixth-best in Britain by The Good Food GuideThe Compasses Inn near Tisbury is named Britain’s sixth-best pub in The Good Food Guide’s 2026 list and wins its Readers’ Choice Award on November 2.Salisbury Journal · 3 Nov, 05:00

In this story: The Compasses Inn · The Beckford Arms · Hop Pole Inn · Ben Maschler · Jane Maschler · The Good Food Guide · Tisbury · Wiltshire

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log