John Williams, Tom Aikens, Will Holland and Steve Smith big winners at AA rosette awards

Muse in London, Ocean restaurant at the Atlantic hotel in Jersey, the Ritz London and the Latymer at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Surrey, have all been awarded four AA rosettes, while a record 26 premises have received three rosettes.

Restaurants awarded three AA rosettes include the Old Stamp House in Ambleside, Cumbria, housed in the former office of William Wordsworth; Frenchie Covent Garden in London, cousin of the original Parisian eatery; and Shaun Rankin’s eponymous restaurant at Grantley Hall in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “This has been an immensely difficult year for the hospitality industry, and yet restaurants across the country have continued to provide incredible dining experiences to the public, despite these considerable challenges.

“The dedication and hard work of the teams behind these establishments is inspiring, particularly during this time, and we are pleased to be able to celebrate them with the announcement of these AA rosettes.”

Three AA rosettes are awarded to restaurants achieving standards that demand national recognition beyond their local area, while those receiving four AA rosettes are among the best in the UK and Ireland.

• The Vineyard, Newbury, Berkshire
• Driftwood, Portscatho, Cornwall
• The Old Stamp House, Ambleside, Cumbria
• The Feathered Nest Country Inn, Nether Westcote, Gloucestershire
• Albert and Michel Roux Jr at Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Highland
• Hide and Fox, Hythe, Kent
• The Barn at Moor Hall, Ormskirk, Lancashire
• Davies & Brook, London, W1
• Frenchie Covent Garden, London, WC2
• Hide Above, London, W1
• Les 110 Des Taillevent, London, W1
• The Betterment by Jason Atherton, London, W1
• The Dysart, Petersham, Greater London
• The Northall, London, WC2
• Trivet, London, SE1
• Mana, Greater Manchester
• Where The Light Gets In, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Minster Mill, Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire
• Windlestraw, Walkerburn, Scottish Borders
• The Haughmond, Upton Magna, Shropshire
• The Boat Inn, Lichfield, Staffordshire
• Interlude, Lower Beeding, West Sussex
• Goldsborough Hall, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
• Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire
• The Pheasant, Harome, North Yorkshire
• Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Towcester, Northamptonshire

AA rosettes have been awarded to restaurants since 1956, with the top award of five rosettes first introduced in 1991. The multi rosettes are traditionally awarded in January and September each year, with success determined by one or more visits by an AA inspector to a hotel or restaurant.