Good Food Guide honours Blumenthal's Little Chef

Popham Little Chef, the branch of the roadside dining chain given an overhaul by Heston Blumenthal, has made it into the 2010 edition of the Good Food Guide.

The Hampshire cafe, featured in the Channel 4 series Big Chef Little Chef earlier this year, was given a score of two out of 10 by the guide's inspectors who were impressed with the standard of dishes such as braised ox cheeks and Hereford steak and Abbot ale pie.

Blumenthal said he was 'overjoyed' at the news. "Inclusion in The Good Food Guide is a great barometer of success and it's fantastic news for Little Chef Popham to be recognised by such an established British food guide," he said.

A score of two is given to establishments that display 'decent cooking, good basic technical skills and interesting combinations and flavours with occasional inconsistencies'.

Elizabeth Carter, editor of The GFG, said: "The minute I walked in I knew it belonged in The Guide - it was so welcoming, vibrant and had a real buzz. I'm confident other diners will think so too."

Last week the GFG announced that Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant had received a top score of 10 in this year's guide.