The Orangery restaurant has been awarded four coveted AA Rosettes, making Rockliffe Hall the only hotel, golf and spa resort in England to hold this accolade.
Executive Chef, Richard Allen, and his team, collected the prize at a glittering ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London last night (Monday 25th September), hosted by former Great British Bake Off presenter and comedian, Mel Giedroyc.
Only ten restaurants in the UK were awarded four new Rosettes at the event. The long-established Rosette scheme celebrates the best restaurants in the country and success is based on one or more visits by an AA inspector. Only 10% of restaurants nationwide are of a standard that is worthy of one Rosette or above.
This accolade makes Rockliffe Hall one of only two properties in the UK and Ireland to hold 5 AA Red Stars, 4 AA Rosettes, the Best Spa for Luxury award and to have a Championship Golf Course.
Richard Allen is no stranger to recognition for his exceptional food. In 2011 he achieved a Michelin Star while working as Executive Chef at the Tassili restaurant in the 5* Grand Jersey Hotel which he held until he left to join Rockliffe Hall in January 2015.
Richard has also held three AA Rosettes for nine years and has two of the highest industry accolades to his name- the Cateys’ Head Chef of the Year 2012 and the Craft Guild of Chefs Restaurant Chef of the Year 2012. Richard is also one of the only chefs to have been named as one of Debrett’s People of Today.
Originally from Poole in Dorset, Richard relocated from Jersey to the North East with his wife and two sons to join Rockliffe, taking the helm in The Orangery and also working with the teams in the resort’s other two restaurants, The Clubhouse and the Spa Brasserie.
On winning the four AA Rosettes, Richard says: “I’m absolutely thrilled The Orangery has been awarded this fourth Rosette. We have a fantastic, talented team here and we’re making great strides in developing the restaurant as a flagship in the region, offering the perfect mix of informal yet informed dining.”
Eamonn Elliott, Chief Executive at Rockliffe Hall, added: “This is a huge achievement for the Orangery team and proves that the restaurant is not only one of the best in the North East, but is in fact one of the most outstanding in the country. We continue to be committed to making Rockliffe Hall the best hotel, spa, restaurant and golf resort in the country and this fourth Rosette brings us another step closer to that goal.”