A SOUTH Lakeland pub and restaurant has been named among the worlds gourmet hotspots.

The Black Bull in Sedbergh was narrowly pipped to the number one spot in the Gourmet Getaway category in the National Geographic Traveller's (UK) Big Sleep Awards.

It was beaten by the Bless Hotel in Madrid which is headed up by Martin Berasategui, Spain’s most decorated chef who has accrued ten 10 Michelin Stars to date.

The internationally acclaimed awards, now in their third year, celebrate the tastemakers and game-changers in the hotel world. During the judging process the magazine’s readers and a panel of top judges selected the cream of the accommodation crop across 20 categories ranging from ultra-luxury suites and spas to value for-money boutique properties and gourmet bolt holes across the globe.

The magazine’s judging panel praised Black Bull owners James Ratcliffe and Nina Matsunaga for what they are delivering in Sedbergh.

They described the hostelry as "hyper-local yet audaciously worldly." The panel added: "Manchester street food stalwarts Nina Matsunaga and James Ratcliffe bring Asian culinary flair to a chic 17th-century inn on the Cumbria-Yorkshire border.’’

Mr Ratcliffe said: "We are immensely proud that we have been listed alongside some seriously illustrious international company in the third National Geographic Traveller Big Sleep Awards.

"As a team we never rest on our laurels and strive to be the best we can possibly be, after all you never know where it might lead to. The team at The Black Bull are totally dedicated, they are people who love what they do, day in and day out, because they are passionate about the food they create and when you combine that with some of the best produce available anywhere you really can’t go far wrong!’’