FOR THE 20th consecutive year the Michelin Guide has awarded a much coveted star to the fine dining restaurant at The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa.
While their latest achievement is testament to the consistently high standards of service and cuisine and the hard work put in by all involved, what has really put a smile on the faces of the restaurant and kitchen brigades is the rising star status that the restaurant has been given.
Executive chef Simon Radley said: “For the restaurant to be tipped as a ‘rising two star’ is obviously a large boost to the whole team. We have been quietly plugging away, doing our thing and I think it gives us added direction. There is an air of excitement in the hotel, but essentially it will be business as usual and a great deal of hard work ahead to ensure that standards are upheld and where possible exceeded.”
The Michelin Guide states that “These rising star restaurants are the best in their category and could move up to the next category once they have demonstrated greater consistency over time and across the entire menu, they are the gourmet dining ‘stars’ of tomorrow.”
Derek Bulmer, editor of the Michelin Guides, said: “Within the one star category there is quite a lot of variation from those that have just received one to those that sit solidly in the middle and those that are pushing towards the two-star mark. The rising stars show readers who’s at the top end of each category. It gives them a bit more information.”
Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor is now one of only four restaurants in the UK to have been awarded one or more Michelin stars for the past 20 years and the only restaurant to have been awarded ‘rising two stars’ status in 2010.
Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor: facts
Named after its highly respected executive chef, this gourmet restaurant serves French cuisine with a contemporary flavour.
The menu is complemented by one of the most extensive wine cellars in England, boasting more than 1,000 bins.
It is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday and the adjoining Arkle Bar and Lounge is open for pre-dinner drinks, morning coffee, light lunches and afternoon tea.
Simon Radley joined The Chester Grosvenor and Spa in 1986 and went on to become head chef within seven years.
The restaurant was refurbished and renamed in honour of his culinary expertise during the summer 2008 and has since attained four AA rosettes while the hard working team have won two prestigious Hotel Catey Awards.