Friday Five: the week's top news
- Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal has achieved the rare feat of going straight into the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland with two stars, despite only opening last year. The restaurant was one of three to be awarded with two stars in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023, which was unveiled during a ceremony held at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire this week. Brett Graham’s iconic Notting Hill restaurant The Ledbury also received two stars following its post-pandemic relaunch last year; as did Ahmet Dede's eponymous Turkish restaurant Dede in Ireland. Alongside them, 20 restaurants have been newly awarded one Michelin star. They include Italian restaurant Luca in London; Kevin and Nicola Tickle’s Heft in Cumbria; Restaurant Twenty-Two in Cambridge; and Timberyard in Edinburgh.
- Apricity in London and Crocadon in Cornwall are among four new restaurants to have been awarded a Green Star in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland 2023. CULTURE in Falmouth and Osip in Bruton were also awarded a Green Star at this week's Michelin star revelation ceremony. With the four new additions, a total of 29 restaurants are now recognised with Green Stars in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland.
- Sarah Hayward, who leads the kitchen at Tom Kerridge's The Coach in Marlow, has won this year's Michelin's Young Chef Award. Hayward, who has been head chef at The Coach since September 2021, picked up the award at this week's Michelin star revelation ceremony. For 2023, five special awards were presented in total. Alongside the Young Chef Award, they included the Michelin Chef Mentor Award; the Welcome and Service Award; and the Sommelier Award.
- The Woodspeen in Berkshire has lost its Michelin star in the little red book’s Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023. It is one of two operating restaurants to have lost their accolades this year, with the other being Seven Park Place within London’s St James's Hotel. Both restaurants continue to be 'recommended' by the Guide. A further six restaurants have been deleted as a result of having closed in the last year. They include London restaurants Maos and The Glasshouse, and Casamia in Bristol.
- Finally, some personal news: daily news website BigHospitality has this week unveiled its new identity as Restaurant – which is more than a nod to the popular Restaurant magazine loved by chefs and restaurateurs across the UK. The new brand reflects the website and daily newsletter’s focus on the UK restaurant sector, offering insight, analysis, comment, news and features across the casual dining, fine dining, QSR and street food sectors of the industry. It will continue to provide readers with free daily breaking news as well as in-depth articles and insight into the key issues and people of the UK restaurant world. To check out the new-look Restaurant website, click here.
