The 2015 Michelin Guide for the UK has elevated 14 restaurants across the country to one-star status, including two in Wales, two in the Scottish isles and one in Cornwall.
New one-star restaurant The Crown at Whitebrook
While six London restaurants were awarded their first Michelin star this year, the new guide for the UK and Ireland has highlighted eateries spanning many regions, ranging from ‘country pubs to hipster hangouts, from counter restaurants to classic dining rooms’.
Among those celebrating outside the UK capital are Scotland’s Isle of Eriska in Eriska and Three Chimneys & The House Over-By on the Isle of Skye.
For Wales, Ynyshir Hall in Machynlleth and the Crown at Whitebrook in Monmouth take its Michelin-starred restaurant tally to five, the highest number in ten years.
Whitebrook’s owner and head chef, Chris Harrod, described the achievement as ‘amazing’, after only opening 11 months ago. ‘It’s been a hard struggle to get to this point, but to have my own restaurant and get a Michelin star in the first year is a dream come true. We changed our direction, we wanted to put the Valley onto the plate and for the food to be very specific to our location and the fact that Michelin has recognised that makes what we’re doing even better.’
Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Cornwall also secured a star. ‘The 14 new stars in our 2015 guide highlight the enormous richness and variety of the UK’s restaurant scene,’ said Rebecca Burr, editor of the Michelin guide.
London’s winners include Soho’s Spanish tapas bar Barrafina, which takes its first star since opening seven years ago, Indian restaurant Gymkhana and Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs.
Chef Isaac McHale’s Clove Club also won, while City Social became the UK’s only high-rise restaurant to achieve Michelin star status and chef Jason Atherton’s third Michelin starred restaurant after Pollen Street Social and Social Eating House.
Atherton said, ‘A Michelin star is an incredible accomplishment and I am so proud of all my teams. There is no doubt that we will be opening a few bottles of Champagne at the restaurants tonight.’
Simon Rogan also gained a star for Fera at Claridges, but missed out at The French in Manchester, a city without Michelin stars since 1974. Rogan said: ‘Unexpected but thrilling news for Fera – amazing and phenomenal for business and just proves that all the hard work over the last few months have really paid a dividend. The team is over the moon, and it gives us a launch pad to push our standards even further.’
Despite the new additions, nine restaurants were stripped of their stars including notable London restaurants Nobu and Nobu Berkeley Street who had held their stars for 16 years and eight years respectively. Also removed from the list was Medlar in Chelsea. London did however retain all of its nine two-star restaurants and its two three-star restaurants.
Others to lose their Michelin star status include Chapter One in Bromley, which lost it for a second time, Holbeck Ghyll in Windermere and Danesfield House in Marlow.
Currently in the UK, there are four three-star restaurants (Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, the Fat Duck, Gordon Ramsay and the Waterside Inn), 21 with two stars and 142 with one.
Michelin also awarded 26 new Bib Gourmands, nine of which are in London, in recognition of establishments offering good food at affordable prices – the limit being £28 for three courses.
Burr said, ‘The Bib Gourmand awards also reflect the continuing trend for competitively-priced, less structured and more flexible dining.’
Written by Georgina Hindle
