The new face of BBC TV’s Food & Drink is heading to Hitchin to host a prestigious industry awards ceremony in Hitchin.

Tom Kerridge, whose Hand & Flowers pub in Marlow is the first to win two coveted Michelin stars, will take centre stage for the 50 Top Gastropub Awards at Hermitage Rd Bar and Restaurant tomorrow.

Tom, who has made headlines this year after shedding six stone, said: “The Top 50 Gastropub Awards is massive. It’s an honour to have won it a number of times before.

“It’s an industry award meaning people from the industry visit your pub and love what you are doing – so for anyone to simply get into the awards is fantastic.

“There are so many great pubs out there but all we hear is of pubs closing – yet the standard of food in gastropubs is great, as is the standard of food at the awards ceremony in Hitchin itself.

“It’s also great the awards are during the day as people get a day out. It’s also a lot more relaxed and it creates such a good buzz in the pub industry.”

Managing editor of the award’s organisers, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser, Jo Bruce said: “Anglian Country Inns who own Hermitage Rd have won the Best Food offer Awards in our Publican Awards for the past two years, which makes it an ideal place to host the Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropub Awards for the second year running in Hitchin.”

The finalists are drawn from a poll of top chefs, gastropub operators and food writers.