Aven celebrating first anniversary and being added to the Good Food Guide

Aven in Preston — Aven off Winckley Square

A restaurant in Preston is celebrating being added to the Good Food Guide.

Aven, which celebrates its first anniversary since a rebrand from 263 this September, has added the place in the Good Food Guide to accolades that include 3 AA Rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide.

Aven is a 32-seat fine-dining restaurant on Camden Place close to Winckley Square and is named after nearby Avenham Park. It is operated by the team of Oli Martin, of Masterchef fame, and Alex Blamire.

The Good Food Guide is a guide to the top restaurants, pubs and cafes across Great Britain and was first published in 1951.

Samantha Haigh, general manager at Aven, said: “We are just so over the moon. From Aven opening to being where we are now in just under a year is incredible.

“Everybody here has worked so hard over the past 12 months, and we are all so pleased to have yet another achievement to shout about just before our 1-year anniversary.”

What the Good Food Guide said

While Lancashire has long since ensconced itself on the northern culinary map, its administrative centre (a full-fledged city for over 20 years, after all) has awaited its moment in the spotlight. Step forward Aven, which opened in an odd backstreet site in the vicinity of its near-namesake Avenham Park in October 2023.

Under the eagle executive eye of Lancashire-born chef-director Oli Martin (ex-Northcote et al), this city-centre venue is a tiny room (seven tables) done out in impeccable decorative style, with dark olive panelling offsetting brilliant white door frames, glass panels partitioning the space, and menus presented in little envelopes bearing the name of the booking.

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