At this year’s MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for Great Britain & Ireland, which took place in Glasgow’s majestic Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum on Monday 10th February, a wave of thrilling news was announced. Amongst it was the presenting of five Special Awards for hospitality professionals who are role-models to us all. These are the people who keep restaurants moving and play a vital part in making dining out so special. Read on to discover this year’s winners.
OMA and its Bib Gourmand sister AGORA have put Greek cuisine front-and-centre in the London dining scene. © Gilles Draps
Few restaurants have had such an instantly brilliant impact on London’s restaurant scene as OMA. Its Greek-inspired cooking has given something fresh and thrilling to the city’s diners, with Hellenic dishes cooked at a level the Inspectors have rarely seen in Britain before. It is no wonder Chef Jorge Paredes and Owner David Carter have also seen their efforts rewarded with a MICHELIN Star. The atmosphere and service, too, have helped OMA to be such a hit, as has the presence of sister restaurant AGORA downstairs – which is a modern take on a ‘souvla bar’ and has deservedly won a Bib Gourmand. As a complete package, OMA has convincingly won over Inspectors and diners alike.
Recognised for his brilliant mentorship, Adam Byatt also produces MICHELIN-Star cooking of his own at Trinity. © John Carey
Ash Valenzuela-Heeger’s vibrant cooking has seen her win our Young Chef Award and Riverine Rabbit gain a Bib Gourmand. © Zamaniego Studio
After having opened Riverine Rabbit with her wife Erin to great acclaim, and received a Bib Gourmand this year, Ash Valenzuela-Heeger has been identified by the Inspectors as an exciting young talent. Ash’s cooking had been generating buzz in Brummie circles for some time thanks to various pop-ups, before the permanent opening of her inventive and invigorating restaurant which has further strengthened the brilliant Birmingham dining scene. Her original cooking is big on flavour and draws on influences from her native South Africa to across Asia.
The service from Jasmine Sherry and her team makes visiting Fish Shop in Ballater a true delight. © Alex Macleod
Great service plays a crucial role in creating that indefinable magic which makes dining out such a pleasure. This is clearly understood by Jasmine Sherry and her team at the utterly delightful Fish Shop. As a manager, Jasmine is omnipresent and strikes the perfect balance between strong leadership and approachable friendliness, allowing the team to work in such a genuine, charming way. Combine this wonderful, caring service with the great-value cooking that has seen the restaurant also awarded a Bib Gourmand, and you have a brilliant all-round package.
The wine list at daróg is explained with knowledgeable enthusiasm by Sommelier Zsolt Lukács. © daróg
The last of the MICHELIN Special Award winners is Zsolt Lukács, the co-owner and sommelier of daróg in Galway. This wine bar and bistro is a warm, welcoming place largely thanks to Zsolt himself. He is an engaging, dedicated man who is clearly so passionate about the wine list he has curated here. His recommendations are knowledgeable and thoughtfully considered, then communicated to guests in a refreshingly unpretentious way that makes them feel relaxed and comfortable. In more great news for Zsolt, the restaurant has also been awarded a Bib Gourmand this year.
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