Moor Hall, which opened in 2017 and has held two Michelin stars since 2018, becomes the 10th three Michelin star restaurant in the Great Britain & Ireland Guide.
The Ritz Restaurant in London, which was awarded its first Michelin star the 2017 Guide, was one of three new two star restaurants announced at this year’s star revelation ceremony, held this evening (10 February) at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow, Scotland.
Also promoted were Angelo Sato’s Humble Chicken in London’s Soho and Allister Barsby and Alice Bussi’s Hide and Fox Restaurant in Saltwood, Kent.
Alongside them, 22 restaurants have been newly awarded one Michelin star.
Additionally, five restaurants received a Michelin Green Star, which highlights those at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices; while 36 new restaurants were awarded a Bib Gourmand, awarded to restaurants ‘offering particularly good quality, good value cooking’.
Moor Hall has long been regarded for Birchall’s ambitious and brilliant cooking and has previously been named National Restaurant of the Year twice by the National Restaurant Awards.
The restaurant with rooms is located in a Grade II-listed building that dates back to the 13th century and is set in five acres of gardens with its own lake.
Michelin described the restaurant’s ingredients as ‘outstanding’, adding that ‘the chefs’ culinary technique is hugely impressive, and the judgement of flavours, of when to prioritise simplicity and when to add complexity, is exemplary’.
The Guide’s inspectors said they particularly enjoyed the classically-based turbot cooked in brown butter with seasonal kuri squash and Mylor prawns.
Reacting to the promotion at the Michelin ceremony, a visibly emotional Birchall said: “You dream about these things. You almost act out in your mind how you would be, but the emotion is incredible.
“We got our first star in 2017, and that feeling is incredible. Like one of the best feelings ever, up there with anything in my life. But this has just destroyed it.”
The Ritz forgotten no more
Promoting it to two star status, Michelin described The Ritz as an ‘enduring symbol of British luxury and quality’.
The restaurant has long been considered worthy of a second star, and the announcement led to executive chef John Williams receiving a standing ovation.
Receiving the two star Michelin jacket, Williams said: “I’ve waited 50 years for this.
“It’s special. The Ritz is a special place. We’ve built it on what the room was and classic cuisine.
“I thought we were forgotten. We’ve carried on cooking to the best of our ability, looking after our guests, and hopefully that works.”
New one star restaurants span the UK
With the Michelin ceremony being held in Scotland for the first time there was much speculation as to whether the country would see any newly starred restaurants, and they did with Stuart Ralston’s Lyla and Rodney Wages’s Avery, both in Edinburgh, picking up their first stars.
Over in the Republic of Ireland, The Morrison Room, which is led by former The Grill at The Dorchester chef Adam Nevin, picked up a star.
Richard Picard-Edwards’s Ballyfin, part of the Ballyfin Demesne hotel, also received its first star, as did Danny Africano’s Lignum in Galway.
Over in Wales, meanwhile, Tom Waters’s Gorse became the first restaurant in Cardiff to receive a Michelin star.
London once again saw its fair share of new stars with John Chantarasak’s AngloThai, Jason Atherton’s Row on 5, Jihun Kim’s Dosa, Diego Ferrari and Emily Roux’s Caractère, 64 Goodge Street and Cornus all picking up a Michelin star.
Kirk Haworth’s Plates in Shoreditch became the first vegan restaurant to receive a star in the Great Britain & Ireland Guide, while Borough Market’s Oma scored its first star while also being named Opening of the Year.
Haworth said: “Earning a Michelin star is such an incredible honour and a lifetime goal since I was a young boy.
“To be the first in the plant-based sphere in the UK to win this prestigious award makes me unbelievably proud, and I am so grateful to our talented team for their support and dedication.”
Away from the capital, Tom Barnes’s Skof became only the second restaurant in Manchester to hold a star, with Forge in Middleton Tyas and Nick Beardshaw’s Starling in Esher also attaining their first stars.
While in Bristol, Jan Ostle’s achieved his long-held ambition of earning a star for his seasonally led restaurant Wilson’s, which he runs with his wife Mary Wilson.
“Mary and I feel incredibly proud to have received this honour from Michelin,” Ostle said.
“Our goal has always been to create something that reflects our values and passion and that serves Bristol and our local community.
“This award is testament to the dedication of our entire team, as well as the incredible farmers, producers and the people of Bristol who continuously support us.”
A total of 1,147 restaurants, including 220 starred ones, are included in the Great Britain & Ireland Guide.
Commenting on this year’s stars, Gwendal Poullennec, international director of The Michelin Guides, said: “I am so thrilled to see that our Great Britain & Ireland Guide has had such a strong year yet again.
“Despite the challenges they face, chefs and restaurateurs have shown us that their talent, commitment and ingenuity know no bounds.
“Moor Hall newly receiving three Michelin stars will rightly be headline news, but I am equally pleased to see a huge total of 22 new one stars join our family.”