The Michelin Star is the most coveted and prestigious accolade for restaurants to receive, and a North West restaurant has reached the highest achievement.
Introduced in 1900, the Michelin Guide grants the accolade, which is highly respected across the culinary scene, with the entitlement boasting excellence across the country.
Inspectors will rank the establishments on criteria such as quality of products, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, and the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience.
The French tyre company explains that One Star celebrates a very good restaurant in its category, Two Star with excellent cooking worth a detour, and the most prestigious Three Star expresses exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.
In anticipation of this year’s awards, Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guides, told the Michelin Guide: “To award so many new Stars this year, including one new Three Star, is testament to the determination and resilience of those working in the hospitality industry – not just the chefs, but those involved at every level.”
Typically London gastronomy has dominated the Michelin Star list, but is this still the case this year?
Data released from the Michelin Guide has shown that London excels in the food industry, holding 70 Michelin Stars, whilst the North West – in particular, the Lake District – hosts one of the best food scenes in the country.
But there are five times fewer Michelin Star establishments within the North West region – the South of the country still outshines the rest of the United Kingdom with the amount of Michelin Stars held.
Mana, located in Ancoats, is the only Michelin Star restaurant within central Manchester.
Their carefully crafted menu hosts the best produce from the British Isles, bringing bold favours, whilst textures are delicate.
Newly acquired Three Star L’Enclume, helmed by Simon Rogan, is now the eighth restaurant in the UK to hold the highest award, after over two decades of operating.
Championing the best seasonal and local ingredients, the restaurant is the only Three Star eatery outside of London.
This year has seen the largest number of restaurants awarded a Michelin Star with 194, and is also the biggest change from the previous year following the pandemic, with an increase of ten.
The year-on-year trend has shown a steady increase in the total number of restaurants, which has been reflected in the number of One Star restaurants, whereas Two Stars have maintained the same level.
The slight plunge in the trend in 2021 was a repercussion of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This resulted in a difficult and unprecedented time for the hospitality industry to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic, pushing the highest of restaurants to excel in the situations.
The Michelin Guide stretches worldwide, and despite the staggering numbers in the United Kingdom, it only sits seventh in countries holding the most starred restaurants.
France currently has the most restaurants with a Michel Star, which has been aided by legendary French chefs Joël Robuchon, with 31 Michelin Stars, and Alain Ducasse, with 21.
The European country has over three times as many as the United Kingdom which lies seventh in the top ten, with only 39 restaurants behind the United States of America.
