Family-run venue named best gastro pub in Northants less than a year after takeover under new ownership
A family-run venue has been named Northamptonshire’s best gastro pub, less than 12 months after it was taken over and reopened under new ownership.
The Kings Head in Spratton has been run by partners Nick Bonner and Ren Aveiro since December 2025, offering a warm and friendly welcome to the village and surrounding areas.
The venue offers traditional and modern menu classics prepared by talented chefs, as well as showing support for local suppliers by showcasing some of the county’s amazing produce.
The pub was closed for a month to give the new team the chance to prepare for its relaunch, and this followed Nick and Ren’s extensive hospitality career running The Griffin in Pitsford and their 15-year stint at The Red Lion in East Haddon.
They had been away for around three years, waiting for the right place to come up, and The Kings Head was named gastro pub of the year at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2026/27 in recent weeks.
“We took a bit of time out after we stopped running another pub and needed to find our mojo again,” Nick told the Chronicle & Echo. “We found out The Kings Head was up for grabs, five minutes from where we live, and it was in great condition.
“We wanted to reintroduce ourselves back into the community, and rebuild the venue so the food and drink offering was absolutely right for the village and surrounding areas. First and foremost, we’re a proper village pub and we’re trying hard on our food offering.
“Everything is fresh and homemade, and our breads and pastry are all created by us. Everyone is greeted with a warm and friendly smile. We want them to come back time and time again for birthdays, date nights and celebrations.”
Talking about the prestigious award win, Nick continued: “We weren’t expecting it. The competition in that room was amazing and we were proud to be sitting alongside our favourite pubs in the county. It was a real honour to be there.
“When our name was called out, we were over the moon. We’re not saying we haven’t worked hard to try and win, as we all pulled together to make the experience as good as it could be. It is good for unifying the team by having one goal and one direction.”
Being named Northamptonshire’s gastro pub of the year has had an immediate effect on The Kings Head, with many sold out days in a row.
“This puts you up on a wave and it’s our job to keep us there,” Nick concluded. “This will introduce us to a lot of new faces. A massive thank you to our team and suppliers for getting us to where we are today.”