Preston smokehouse wins Trip Advisor Travellers' Choice Award 2022

Smokin V's Real Barbecue on Guildhall Street has been named as the 2022 Trip Advisor Travellers' Choice Award for food. The award is determined by travellers themselves and the reviews they write via a business' Trip Advisor. Based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers from around the world, this annual award recognises the very best tourism establishments in terms of service, quality, customer satisfaction and more, across a range of categories.

Boasting a 4.5 out of 5 score on Trip Advisor with reviews such as "A true barbecue experience" and "This place is a must visit" and a "milkshake to change the world", it's easy to see why Smokin V's Real Barbecue was chosen as the winner. However, Dave Valentine, 34, who co-owns the steakhouse with his brother Dan Valentine, 29, says it has been a long road of having to battle Covid-related obstacles to get to this recognition. The pair started their food journey off as street traders where they worked for a year and a half before their talent was spotted by the owner of Preston restaurant Ships and Giggles who then offered them the chance to run the kitchen. They accepted until the pandemic hit.

Dave said: "Covid slapped us in the face but we decided it was an ideal opportunity to branch out on our own so it was a case of go hard or go home and we got the keys in September 2020 to open up the smokehouse. We finally opened in December and were fully booked for the first weekend when lockdown hit. We decided that we were not going to be defeated at the first hurdle so we branched out by doing takeaway for six months. After this outdoor dining was reintroduced and we started doing that. The following year we caught Covid and had to shut down for two weeks.”

He added: "All the hard work we have all put in - every staff member has worked so hard to achieve this award. Any plans for expansion we had have been put paid by the cost of living crisis so for now we are keen to focus on the smokehouse. We are absolutely over the moon to receive the Trip Advisor Travellers' Choice 2022 award.

"I didn't even realise properly until the day after as I received a notification on my phone on the Monday but I didn't really look at the email again until the next day when it hit me. It's been a very difficult year due to the cost-of-living crisis and wholesale prices sky rocketing. Our team has worked exceptionally hard to ensure that all of our guest have a fantastic experience. As a small family business, trading when times are difficult for us all in hospitality, this is truly an amazing achievement."

Dave informs me that the beef brisket is very popular: "We have had a lot of compliments from people all over the world saying how nice it is."

Excuse me while I go and sample the beef brisket with the boozy biscoff milkshake to "change the world" to wash it down with!