Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In has won the Sustainability award in the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards for 2022
The restaurant was commended for not only working directly with farmers and fishermen but also sourcing produce from its very own farm, ensuring that everyone has a true understanding of what it means to work on the land.
Produce, weather patterns and sea conditions dictate the menu, offering a balanced choice “that both nourishes the body and sustains our eco-system.”
Juliane Caillouette-Noble, managing director of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, which judged the award, says: “Chef-patron Sam Buckley exemplifies the fantastic steps many restaurants are taking not only to source and serve the finest ingredients with minimal impact on the environment, but he is also going a big step further by bringing together farmers, their customers and the wider community to find solutions to some of the most serious issues in our food system.”
A restaurant with rooms on the west coast of Wales has been named as the best in the UK at The Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2022.
Located in a traditional country house hotel, Ynyshir is not what diners might first expect. Overseen by chef-patron Gareth Ward, this singular restaurant provides a culinary experience like no other – combining a thumping soundtrack with a succession of tiny plates of punchy, Japan-influenced cuisine cooked over fire.
Produce is largely sourced locally and much of it is aged in-house and the chefs serve dishes directly to the diners’ tables.
It is the first time in the award’s 16-year history that a restaurant outside of England has claimed the top spot.
“What Gareth Ward has done at Ynyshir is remarkable,” says Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant by BigHospitality. “Taking on a restaurant located in a traditional country house hotel and putting such a personal and edgy stamp on it was a bold, brave move – a real statement of intent – but one that has really paid off. Ynyshir is without doubt one of the most unique and exciting places to eat in the UK at the moment, possibly in the world, and is a very worthy winner of this year’s awards. Congratulations to Gareth and the team.”
Second place goes to Moor Hall in Lancashire, ranked number one restaurant for the past two years. Third place is London’s Brat restaurant in Shoreditch while The Ritz, also in London, is ranked at number four.
The highest new entry at number five and winner of the Opening of the Year goes to high-end Indian restaurant Bibi in London’s Mayfair.
This year’s list shows a dominance of the capital’s restaurant scene, with a total of 60 restaurants from London in the top 100 list and only three restaurants in the top 10 located outside of London.
Simon Rogan, chef-patron of L’Enclume in Cumbria, has been named this year’s Chef of the Year, while The Ritz restaurant takes home The Service Award. Staying with The Ritz, the restaurant’s head chef Spencer Metzger was also winner of the Chef to Watch award.
Restaurateur of the Year goes to Dan and Natasha Smith from The Fordwich Arms and The Bridge Arms, both in Kent.
Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Ruth Rogers, the chef-owner of London’s The River Café.
“Ruth Rogers is one of those rare professional chefs that transcend the world of cooking and give it a more human, personal element,” adds Chomka. The River Café celebrates its 35th birthday this year and has played a pivotal role in bringing London’s culinary scene up from the doldrums to what it is today. Its influence cannot be overstated.”
For the first time in the history of the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards, the public was asked to vote on their favourite restaurant in the UK. The inaugural Food Lovers Award goes to Beach House in Oxwich.
