Top 50 Gastropub named AA Restaurant of the Year

The Star Inn, Harome, which is currently number five on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, has been run by Andrew Pern since 1996.

November 2021 saw the Michelin-starred pub ‘reduced to ashes’ after a fire caught light at the thatched property.

It was closed for 12 months for rebuilding and refurbishment works, fully reopening in November 2022.

This year’s AA Hospitality Awards took place earlier this week (Monday 21 September) and saw a number of individuals as well as businesses across the sector.

The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny took AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales while the Scotland winner was Swadish by Ajay Kumar in Glasgow while AngloThair took the London accolade.

Accolades presented

Calcot & Spa in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, which is currently number 24 on the Top 50 Boutique Hotels list, was named AA Hotel of the Year for England, while for London it was the Emory, Crossbasket Castle in High Blantyre was the Scotland champion, Porth Tocyn Hotel in Abersoch took the title for Wales and Culloden Estate & Spa in Holywood for Northern Ireland.

The AA Rising Star of the Year was Ilona Harris from Cromlix - the current number 50 on the Top 50 Boutique Hotels list.

Moreover, Tommy Banks-owned venue the Black Swan at Oldstead was named this year’s AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year.

AA Hotel & Hospitality Services managing director Simon Numphud said: “The AA Hospitality Awards exist to recognise the passion, dedication and high standards that go into delivering exceptional hospitality and this year’s winners are a wonderful example of that.

“These awards recognise incredible people in our industry who care deeply about what they do to give their guests the very best experience.

“That commitment to excellence is what sets British hospitality apart and underpins its world-renowned reputation.

“Congratulations to all the winners, nominees and new Rosette holders. It is a privilege to celebrate their achievements.”

The winners in full:

AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year

• Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurant, London

AA Lifetime Achievement Award

• David Morgan-Hewitt of The Goring, London

AA Outstanding Contribution Award

• Adam Terpening, Charity Director for Room to Reward

AA Restaurant of the Year

• England – The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire
• London – AngloThai, London
• Wales – The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
• Scotland – Swadish by Ajay Kumar, Glasgow, Glasgow City

AA Group of the Year

• The Celtic Collection, Newport, South Wales

AA Hotel of the Year

• London – The Emory, London
• England – Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
• Scotland – Crossbasket Castle, High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
• Wales – Porth Tocyn Hotel, Abersoch, Gwynedd
• Northern Ireland – Culloden Estate & Spa, Holywood, County Down

AA Small Hotel Group of the Year

• Firmdale Hotels, London

AA Small Hotel Team of the Year

• Knockendarroch Hotel & Restaurant, Pitlochry, Perthshire

AA Large Hotel Team of the Year

• St. Ermin’s Hotel, London

AA Wine Award

• England and Overall – etch. by Steven Edwards, Brighton, East Sussex
• Wales – The Jackdaw, Conwy, Conwy County Borough
• Scotland – Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway

AA Rising Star of the Year

• IIona Harris, Cromlix, Kinbuck, Stirling

AA Housekeeper of the Year

• Katarzyna Celinska, The Bloomsbury, London

AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year

• The Black Swan at Oldstead, Oldstead, North Yorkshire

AA Inn of the Year

• The Penny Bun, Otley, West Yorkshire

AA B&B of the Year

• Lys-Na-Greyne, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire

AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year

• House of George W. Davies, Broadway, Worcestershire

AA Spa Hotel of the Year

• Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, Fife

AA Sustainable Award

• Malmaison & Hotel du Vin, Nationwide

AA College Restaurant of the Year

• The Classroom, Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff

New 4 Rosettes

• Frog by Adam Handling, London
• Hide and Fox, Hythe, Kent
• Ikoyi, London
• Inver, Strathlachlan, Argyll and Bute
• LI~LY by Aiden Byrne, Knutsford, Cheshire
• The Cocochine, London

New 3 Rosettes

• AngloThai, London
• Daise by Tony Parkin, Wirral, Merseyside
• FERN, Nanstallon, Cornwall
• Flavour, Tarbert, Western Isles
• KYND at Hampton Manor, Solihull, West Midlands
• Langar Hall Hotel, Langar, Nottinghamshire
• Lofft, Cardiff
• Luna Omakase, London
• Orrery by Pierre Minotti, London
• Restaurant Elm, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
• Sō-lō Restaurant, Aughton, Lancashire
• St Barts, London
• The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Bath, Somerset
• The Gunroom Restaurant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
• Tom Brown at The Capital, London

New 5 Red Stars

• Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo
• Langdale Chase, Windermere, Cumbria
• The Chancery Rosewood, London
• The Emory, London

New 4 Red Stars

• Holmes Hotel, London
• Penmaenuchaf Dolgellau, Dolgellau, Gwynedd