Golden Ball wins place in Top 100 Gastropubs
April 10, 2025
Ben & Priya in The Golden Ball at Lower Assendon
Congratulations to Ben & Priya at The Golden Ball at Lower Assendon on securing a place in the Estrella Damm Top 100 Gastropubs earlier this year. The pub is in 61st place on a list that includes some of the top gastropubs in the country – and comes hot on the heels of recognition in the Michelin Guide’s Best Pubs in Oxfordshire in December, and winning Muddy Stilettos’ Best Restaurant (Buck & Oxon) Award last summer.
Judges of the Top 100 Gastropubs said: “Priya provides a natural warmth in the friendly service, while Ben incorporates Priya’s Indian heritage into his modern British dishes. A local, seasonal approach adds to the appeal too, with chicken and beef from the surrounding area featuring in cooking that is confidently executed and suitably satisfying.”
Ben & Priya took on The Golden Ball in November 2022, in a move ‘home’ for Ben who grew up in Henley. They both had successful careers in the hospitality industry, working in restaurants such as The Square, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Gymkhana and Core by Clare Smyth.
Ben said: “We were told we were on the Top 100 Gastropubs list before Christmas, but didn’t know where we were placed. We were expecting to be in the 90s, so it was great to land further up and a big step in the right direction.
“Our food is a bit unusual: these days, you have to do something different if you want to carve out your own niche. People love that our Indian heritage is featured on the menu.”
Ben & Priya hope to add to their honours in future but for now they are concentrating on building up the business. Ben said: “If we can just keep going and getting steadily busier with lots of repeat business from happy locals as well as new customers, then that’s all we can ask for. We’re really happy with how it’s going and hope it continues this way.”
