AA Rosette Awards 2023: 2 restaurants near Worcester awarded

There were 15 establishments that were awarded AA Rosettes, celebrated for culinary excellence and an unprecedented level of quality and originality. As is tradition, each winner of a Rosette Award also received the iconic porcelain AA plate. 

Those with three AA Rosettes are all outstanding restaurants and hotels achieving standards which demand national recognition well beyond their local area, while those awarded four AA Rosettes are considered among the top restaurants in the country.  

The award winners represent exceptional restaurants and hotels across every corner of the UK.

Two restaurants near Worcester win three AA Rosettes

Thornbury Castle Hotel

Thornbury Castle Hotel was awarded 3 AA Rosettes (Image: AA)

Thornbury Castle Hotel on Castle Street, Thornbury has been awarded with three AA Rosettes.

An AA inspector said: “Setting and food are both solidly impressive and pretty as a picture.”

An AA inspector also said: “The very splendid Thornbury Castle (it has some of the fanciest windows you’ll ever see in your life, and fantastically twisty chimney pots) is an extremely impressive setting for equally impressive cooking.

“You won’t find many more dramatically Tudor buildings where you can eat your dinner, that’s for sure. Henry VIII, Sir Lawrence Oliver and Sophia Loren have all tucked into something delicious here and it would be rude not to follow them.

“Choose from a three-course à la carte or the six-course tasting menu, offering precisely constructed, intricate and elegant modern British dishes of a very high standard.”

To find out more about Thornbury Castle Hotel or to book, you can visit the website.

Smoke at Hampton Manor

Smoke at Hampton Manor won three AA Rosettes (Image: AA)

Smoke at Hampton Manor also received three AA Rosettes.

An inspector noted the “live fire cooking” that goes on in the “historic building”.

An inspector also said: “Located in the old furnace house of historic Hampton Manor, Smoke is next to the walled garden that provides many of the raw materials for the kitchen. There is a rustic charm and simplicity to the menu, with Masterchef: The Professionals winner Stuart Deeley cooking much of the seasonal produce over fire.

“Begin with a smooth chicken liver parfait served with a sherry sauce, walnut and apple, before a main course of sea bream, lobster bisque and smoky white beans. A rich and decadent chocolate fondant tart, poached pear and crème fraîche ice cream is one of the memorable desserts.”

To find out more about Smoke at Hampton Manor or to book, you can visit the website.

Since 1956, the AA Rosette awards have been a mark of leading restaurant and hotel venues across the UK. The allocation of multi-Rosettes is determined by one or more visits by an AA inspector to a hotel or restaurant.

To discover all of the top restaurants across the UK with AA Rosettes and also watch the 2023 Rosette awards ceremony, you can visit the website.

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, who operates the AA Rosette scheme, said: “This year’s winners are truly culinary royalty in the UK.

"Not only are they presenting mesmerising dishes, but they’ve curated beautiful, intimate atmospheres which complete the whole experience.

“Congratulations to the chefs and front-of-house teams who have made their Rosette awards possible.”