Chef Sat Bains has been celebrating with staff from his restaurant after it received the ultimate accolade of five AA rosettes at the AA Hospitality Awards 2009 last night.
Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms was the only restaurant to be awarded the ultimate accolade, and becomes one of just seven in the UK to hold the top rating.
Bains said: "Awarding Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms AA 5 Rosettes is quite simply fantastic recognition for the entire team's hard work and consistency. Amanda and I are very proud and will be continuing the pursuit of our version of perfection.
"In reality it’s not always easy to establish yourself this far outside London. It’s testament to the AA that they’ve made the effort to visit us so often. This is a really exciting time for Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms. We are really looking forward to 2010.”
Three restaurants - Hibiscus, Helene Darroze at The Connaught and The Latymer at Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa - were given four rosettes at the ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane in London while 22 received three rosettes.
The AA's rosette award scheme was the first nationwide scheme for assessing the quality of food served by restaurants and hotels. To achieve five rosettes establishments must be 'highly individual' display 'breathtaking culinary skills' and have a 'knowledgeable and distinctive wine list'.
The three AA rosette winners for 2009 are:
The Church Green, Lymm, Cheshire
Auberge du Lac, Welwyn, Hertfordshire
The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Bath
The Burlington Restaurant at The Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
Casamia Restaurant, Bristol
Gilpin Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant, Windermere, Cumbria
Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Kinloch Lodge, Isleornsay, Highland
Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond, Balloch, West Dunbartonshire
The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Fife
Seaham Hall Hotel - The White Room Restaurant, Seaham, Co Durham
The Bingham, Richmond-upon-Thames, London
Corrigan's, Mayfair, London
The Crown at Celtic Manor, Newport, South Wales
Galvin at Windows, Mayfair, London
Min Jiang, Kensington, London
Murano, Mayfair, London
The Pass, West Sussex
Purnell's, Birmingham
Robert Thompson, The Hambrough, Isle of Wight
Rousillion, London
York & Albany, London