More reactions from the Michelin Guide 2015 winners

With the Michelin Guide 2015 having been released today, The Staff Canteen has three more reactions from its newest winners.

For Adam Bennett, head chef of The Cross, a pub restaurant in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, winning a star is ‘a great feeling’. The business only opened twelve months ago and so Adam didn’t think they would be ‘on the guide’s radar’.
“In our minds the year has been more about establishing ourselves,” he said. “We’d hoped to be up for a star next year maybe, but to get it this year is a real surprise.”

Adam and his commis chef Kristian Curtis have recently been spending much of their time in the European finals of the Bocuse D’Or culinary Olympics, making the win all the more surprising.

Meanwhile over in the North Yorkshire Moors sits another award-winning pub. Andrew Pern’s The Star has also – fittingly – regained its star after a three year absence, and for Andrew it’s ‘very nice to have it back’.

As to how they achieved it, Andrew says himself and head chef Steve Smith worked their ‘socks off’.
“We’ve not missed a shift in the last three years,” he said. “And it’s paid off.”

He added: “Keeping at the top of the pile or thereabouts in our pub sector has always been very
important to us. It’s a daily challenge, which is great – we’re always up for a challenge!”

Asked if his new restaurant The Star Inn the City, based in the city of York, will also be going for a star, he said: “I think we’re quite happy with one at the moment, we won’t get too greedy!”

Our final of these three winners is the Eriska hotel, an island resort off the west coast of Scotland. The head chef of the hotel is Ross Stovold, but we spoke to Beppo-Buchanan Smith, the owner.

He said: “I’m gobsmacked, to be honest. It’s great after forty years for Ross and his team – both front and back of house – to gain recognition. It’s a surprise, and it’s great because he [Ross] has a passion for dealing with local produce from the sea or mountains around the island.”
On the reactions of the rest of the staff, he said: “They are delighted.  All the hard work done over the last couple of years makes it all worthwhile for them.”

Moving forward he says the star gives them ‘a stepping stone’, allowing them to develop further and get ready for the next forty years.

By Stuart Armstrong

Read more reactions from latest Michelin winners here. What do you think of this news? Let us know over on our Facebook or Twitter page @canteentweets.