After recently becoming the recipient of a highly acclaimed Acorn award, Rothay Manor’s head chef Dan McGeorge, discovered on Monday night (25th January) that his food had been recognised in the 2021 Michelin guide for the UK and Ireland with a Michelin Plate for the first time.
After a gruelling year for the hospitality industry, Monday night’s awards were a chance to celebrate some of the best restaurants in the UK. You may well ask though why at a time when restaurants and pubs are shut would Michelin launch their new guide?
The answer Michelin provided is simple and straightforward: ‘’We want to promote the industry as much as we possibly can. We want to celebrate the many amazing restaurants in Great Britain & Ireland and all the hugely talented chefs and restaurateurs. We want to shine a light on our industry, to keep people talking about it in the media and remind everyone of what we have, and to bring news of our great restaurants to a global audience.”
The team at Rothay are certainly glad, their Michelin Plate award recognises the hard work of the team, especially in light of a really challenging year. The inspector’s entry in the guide reflects that hard work: ‘’A Regency-style country house on the edge of town plays host to this elegant restaurant, where original shutters and cornicing sit alongside bold William Morris wallpaper and striking chandeliers. Intricate modern dishes showcase fine ingredients and demonstrate a good understanding of technique.’’
The Michelin Plate was first unveiled in 2018 and features in the guide as a symbol depicting a fork and knife next to a plate, which is used to mark noteworthy restaurants serving quality food and that the inspectors enjoyed and are well worth keeping an eye on but aren’t quite ready to earn a Bib Gourmand or a Michelin star.
Dan McGeorge, head chef at Rothay Manor, said: ‘’It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve been presented with a Michelin Plate. This shows we are definitely heading in the right direction. There’s lots more to come, despite the fact that it’s been a very difficult period for every aspect of the hospitality industry we can’t wait to get back into the kitchen and do what we do best, and this recognition just makes us want to get in there even more and create great food for our customers.’’
Jamie Shail, the owner of Rothay Manor, Ambleside, said: ‘’We’ve all had a really tough year, and the hospitality sector has borne the brunt of many of the lockdown restrictions imposed on the country so far. There’s no doubt that moments like this help lift everyone’s spirits and make us want to throw open our doors more than ever, so that we can do what we do best, look after people and serve the truly excellent food created by Dan and his team. Let’s all hope that moment comes to be a reality soon.’’
