Latest additions to the 2012 AA Guide.

Posted by chefhermes on January 17, 2012 · 7 Comments 

AA2012 - rosette bw header

Here are the latest additions to the 2012 AA Restaurant Guide. Why we now have to go through this ritual is quite frankly beyond me, but we do. As I’ve pointed out in a previous post, the irony of the AA dishing out awards twice in a year when possibly only inspecting some establishments once every two years seems quite ridiculous, but hey there you have it.

With the relocation of the Michelin guide release to October it was looking like January would be a slow news month, until Kerstin Kuhn (aka @GuideGirl) from The Caterer tweeted:

New AA rosette awards will be announced @Caterertweets at midnight.

Later on & approaching the midnight release time, other chefs started to speculate about the numbers & names of the new three rosette holders, Paul Foster’s Tuddenham Mill being widely touted. And so to the additions to the 2012 guide:

  • Hakkasan Mayfair, London
  • Roganic, London
  • Cotswold 88, Painswick
  • Tuddenham Mill, Newmarket
  • Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead
  • East Lodge Country House Hotel, Rowsley
  • Mark Greenaway at No 12 Picardy Place , Edinburgh

Roganic, Simon Rogan’s pop up restaurant in Marylebone has received rave reviews from day one, but due to the fact it was only supposed to last two years many suggested that it would be too risky to make it an addition to the top 10%. Hard to see now how it can’t fail to carry on.

Gravetye Manor being elevated back to three rosettes marks what must surely be the end of a turbulent period for the property. In early 2010 the Elizabethan manor went into administration, later that year a private investor by the name of Jeremy Hosking purchased Gravetye & proceeded with a multi-million pound refurbishment programme.

And finally, a personal favourite. Congratulations to Mark Greenaway @ No 12 Picardy Place. I ate there in October of last year and it was a welcome addition to the fine dining scene in the Scottish capital, competing with many of his peers & worthy of the accolade.

Pave of Duck, Mark Greenaway

Canneloni of Crab, Mark Greenaway

Consumer document from the AA

 

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