The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch won three Michelin stars at Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant in the Michelin Guide UK 2020. Meanwhile, Jordan Bailey’s recently-launched restaurant, Aimsir, went straight in at two stars.
A record number of stars were awarded in this year’s Michelin Guide for the UK and Ireland.
Jordan Bailey’s Aimsir went straight in at two stars, but Mickael Viljanen’s Greenhouse in Dublin, La Dame de Pic, Niall Keating’s The Dining Room at Whatley Manor (two years after getting its first) - got two stars also.
Upon receiving the accolade, Jordan Bailey, whose restaurant opened earlier this year, said: “Anyone who’s opened a restaurant from scratch can understand what we’ve been through, you just have to ride it through, and hopefully good things will come.”
“I never even dreamed of this, I don’t know what to say. I’m blown away, I’m very grateful for everyone who taught me along the way from Raymond to Sat, thank you very much.”
As the number of Michelin-starred restaurants in London continued to grow – including Endo Kazutoshi’s Endo at The Rotunda and Mãos with a single star - elsewhere in the UK was celebrated too: Muddlers’ Club took the fourth star for Belfast under Gareth McCaugher and another single star was given to Variety Jones in Dublin under chef Keelan Higgs, as was Hywel Griffith’s Beach House in Oxwich, Wales.
On Friday, Michelin broke with convention when it gave a single restaurant – Alchemilla, in Nottingham - a star.
At the time, he said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been awarded the star. I’ve been working as a chef for 21 years and to receive such an accolade is just so rewarding. It’s a team effort at Alchemilla and we’ve all worked incredibly hard, I’m so proud and thankful for each and every one of them. I'm genuinely speechless and that never happens.”
Alex was named ‘Chef to Watch’ by Good Food Guide 2019 for showing a perfect understanding of the way we want to eat. His impressive CV includes Restaurant Sat Bains, Turners at 69 in Birmingham and Auberge du Lac.
The guide also gave out a special award for sustainability to Restaurant Loam chef Enda McEvoy, while sommelier award was given to Jurica Gojevic of Adare Manor – The Bonwick family received the special service award.
Congratulating the new recipients as well as those who have maintained their stars, Raymond Blanc, who has held two Michelin stars at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons for the past 35 years said: “Gastronomy is no longer London-centric. It is all across the UK from south to north bringing back this dynamism and touching excellence all the time. That is fantastic, so thank you.”
Meanwhile, international director Gwendal Poullennec said: “Inspectors are very excited about the level of cooking in the UK.”
“Some of the new stars today will be knocking on the doors of the two stars very shortly.”
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