Adam Degg: 1 Michelin star chef at Fifty Two at Rudding Park

Adam Degg is the head chef and host of Fifty Two at Rudding Park, the North Yorkshire restaurant awarded one Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026.

Opened in 2024, the 20-cover restaurant is built around produce from the hotel’s kitchen garden and a format that brings guests close to both the food and the team.

Set in the grounds of Rudding Park near Harrogate, Fifty Two takes its name from the 52 raised beds in the kitchen garden, where more than 500 varieties of herbs, fruit and vegetables are grown.

The experience begins in the garden before guests move into the restaurant, where all the semi-communal tables face the open kitchen and Adam and his team cook, serve and host the evening themselves.

Michelin has described it as a theatrical restaurant guided by its produce, while Rudding Park positions it as an immersive dining experience rooted in seasonality, sustainability and creativity.

Early career and background

Adam’s career in food began by chance at 16, when a missed train led to him washing dishes at a friend’s family restaurant. That accidental start turned into a full-time commitment to the kitchen and the beginning of a career that would take him through some of the country’s best-known restaurants.

He began his professional journey in Birmingham before moving to London, where he worked at Wild Honey, then Chiltern Firehouse and the two-Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers.

He was also part of the team that helped The Coach in Marlow earn its Michelin star. In 2024, he also appeared on Great British Menu before going on to focus on the launch of Fifty Two.

Adam Degg at Rudding Park

Adam joined Rudding Park in 2022 as head chef of Horto, where he held three AA Rosettes before going on to lead Fifty Two.

The new restaurant gave him the chance to build something more personal and more immersive, with the kitchen garden at the centre of the concept and the evening designed to feel more like a dinner party than a conventional fine dining service.

That approach has become central to Fifty Two’s identity. Guests start with a drink and snack in the kitchen garden before moving into a restaurant built from upcycled shipping containers, where Adam and his five-strong team cook, chat and even help curate the soundtrack for the night.

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of the signature touches is “Dessert Island Discs”, where guests choose a song to be played alongside dessert.

Food at Fifty Two at Rudding Park

Cooking style at Fifty Two

Adam’s cooking at Fifty Two is driven by what is growing, what has been preserved and what the surrounding season allows.

Michelin says the surprise tasting menu is filled with assured, technically skilled dishes informed by the homegrown produce from the raised beds and the preserved ingredients lining the shelves.

Rudding Park also describes the food as genuine and fun, evolving daily according to what is harvested from the garden.

That balance between technique and informality appears to be a big part of the restaurant’s appeal.

Review coverage has highlighted both the creativity of the menu and the atmosphere Adam creates in the room, with the experience feeling relaxed and engaging rather than stiff or overworked. Dishes such as the custard tart have already become closely associated with the restaurant.

Michelin star SUCCESS

In February 2026, Fifty Two was awarded its first Michelin star. The recognition marked a major milestone for Adam and the team, and for a restaurant that had opened only the year before.

Michelin’s own listing points to the quality of the cooking, the strong connection between the menu and the garden, and the individuality of the experience.

Reacting to the award, Adam said the star meant “the world” to the team and described Fifty Two as a restaurant rooted in the incredible produce grown at Rudding Park.

He also credited head kitchen gardener Emma Pugh for shaping every dish they serve, underlining how closely the restaurant’s food is tied to the work happening outside the kitchen itself.

Adam Degg at Fifty Two at Rudding Park

Adam Degg at Fifty Two

Today, Adam Degg is one of the most exciting chefs working in Yorkshire. Through Fifty Two, he has created a restaurant with a clear identity: produce-led, technically assured and built around a format that makes fine dining feel more relaxed, social and immediate.

With one Michelin star now attached to Fifty Two, Adam’s reputation continues to grow.

What stands out in his work is not only the quality of the cooking, but the clarity of the whole concept, from the garden and the open kitchen to the music, service and atmosphere around the table.