The new Michelin Guide to Britain and Ireland 2014 is out today with fifteen new stars across the UK and Ireland though none for Yorkshire. Five chefs have held on to their stars: the Box Tree in Ilkley, the Yorke Arms at Ramsgill; The Black Swan at Oldstead; the Pipe and Glass at South Dalton and the Old Vicarage, Sheffield. It’s no surprise that a change of chef (stars are awarded to the chef not the restaurant) at the Burlington Restaurant, Bolton Abbey means they have lost their star. No pressure then on their new young chef Adam Smith to earn it back for next year.
Kaushy Patel of Prashad
Bib Gourmand’s (meaning good food at moderate prices) have been awarded to El Gato Negro in Ripponden and Prashad in Drighlington, two of our favourites. Well done both. The only other Yorkshire Bib is Vennell’s at Masham. Le Langhe in York which we consider serves some of the best Italian food in the UK, they’ve been stripped of their Bib.
And what of the rest? Followers of Michelin should log onto www.elizabethonfood.com who is a dedicated reviewer of Michelin starred restaurants across Europe and has the full breakdown.
The headlines though are that Heston’s Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental and the Greenhouse in Mayfair have both won a second star. L’Atelier Joel Robuchon has gone down from two stars to one. Gordon Ramsey, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, The Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn at Bray have retained their three stars.
It’s noteworthy that of the 142 stars across the UK and Ireland, very few reach the north of England. The exceptions being the five in Yorkshire, L’Enclume in Cartmel (two stars) and a new star for the Samling in Ambleside and for the rest of the north:
Fischer’s of Baslow
Fraiche, Birkenhead
Northcote, Blackburn
Chester Grosvenor, Chester
Raby Hunt, Darlington
Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere
Of the 143 Bib Gourmand’s awarded, there are just 11 north of Nottingham. They are:
El Gato Negro, Ripponden
Prashad, Drighlington
Twelve, Blackpool
Waggon, Bury
Bay Horse, Hurworth on Tees
Bistro 21, Durham
Chequers, Gedney Dyke, Lincolnshire
Vennell’s Masham
Broad Chare, Newcastle
David Kennedy’s River Café, North Shields
Hearth of the Ram, Ramsbottom
We’d suggest they get a few more inspectors on the East Coast Mainline and sample a few more. On the other hand we prefer the Good Food Guide.