A popular Lake District hotel has been named the best in England in prestigious awards.
The Forest Side restaurant and rooms in Grasmere, won the AA’s Hotel of the Year England accolade in the 2023 awards.
The award, one of the biggest in the hospitality industry, was handed to general manager Alasdair Elwick, head chef Paul Leonard and owner Andrew Wildsmith at a ceremony held last night in London.
Alasdair said: “I’m not going to lie – we’re absolutely buzzing to win the AA Hotel of the Year for England, it’s an absolutely mega-achievement for us all at The Forest Side.
“We work so hard doing our thing, in our way and how we want to do it, our guests love it, and our honest and genuine approach clearly has been recognised. We’re going to have one awesome party!”
The Old Stamp House in Ambleside, run by chef patron Ryan Blackburn and co-owner and front of house manager Craig Blackburn, was named Restaurant of the Year in England.
Ryan said: ‘’There’s no doubt at all that this award speaks volumes about the dedication and unwavering commitment of every single member of the Old Stamp House team in making sure every guest has the best possible experience and we’re hugely proud to be recognised in this way.
“We’ve come a long way since we opened our doors in 2014, striving to deliver quality and consistency across the board as we set out to create dishes that are inspired and reflect our deep-seated connection to the landscape in which the restaurant sits.”
Allium at Askham Hall won the Wine Award for England.
Introduced in 1998, the AA Wine Award recognises an outstanding contribution to promoting wine understanding and appreciation. Allium at Askham Hall was judged on the quality of its wine list and its ability to inspire customers to make wider and more adventurous choices in selecting wines.
Nico Chieze, Askham Hall’s maître de maison, said: “We have always given our wine list and cellars the same level of love, care and dedication as we do our food, so to receive this recognition is just wonderful.”
Three Rosettes were handed to 1863 Restaurant with Rooms at Pooley Bridge and Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai, at Farlam Hall.
The long established AA Rosette scheme recognises cooking at different levels nationwide. Achieving rosettes is based on multiple visits to the restaurant by a team of inspectors who have an unrivalled wealth of experience in assessing culinary excellence.
Phil Corrie, of 1863, said: “I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or 10 at the news that we’d been awarded a third AA rosette.
“It’s been a tough couple of years, coming through Covid and the inevitable challenges post-Covid presented in terms of staffing and cost of living crisis that has undoubtedly impacted the hospitality sector.
“But I’m just so proud of what we’re doing here and industry recognition in the form of awards is really very gratifying.
“The team are all working so hard and pulling together and I think customers see that and appreciate it. This award truly is a testament of passion and dedication of everyone involved, both past and present.”
