Several restaurants in this year's Michelin Guide have managed to retain their stars amid significant staff changes.
Restaurants with a star are often at risk of a deletion if a head chef moves or leaves.
Matt Worswick, head chef at Glenapp Castle since January this year, felt especially moved to congratulate his new team, who he assembled after Adam Stokes left in December â' Stokes himself has gone on to win a Michelin star in this yearâs guide for his new Birmingham restaurant Adamâs.
Worswick said: âItâs a credit to the guys who carried on and stayed with us. Itâs a brand-new team. It wasnât my star before, so I donât see it as retaining it, I see it as being awarded my own.â
The Black Swan at Oldstead â' whose former head chef Adam Jackson left in June this year, replaced by the ownersâ son and former sous chef Tommy Banks â' was also especially pleased. This morning the restaurant tweeted congratulations to its team, saying their star was the âicing on the cake for all the hard workâ.
Banks, who also brother to James, who runs the front of house, said the continued success was down to a âfantasticâ team. He told Caterer and Hotelkeeper: âWeâve gone to every effort to try and maintain the star. Itâs a pat on the back for everybody. In my mind, I always felt the food was definitely of the standard, but the thing is with Michelin, and with the quick turnaround, youâre never completely sure.â
The Box Tree has also had its fair share of change this year, but equally saw its name stay on the coveted Michelin list. Head chef Lawrence Yates, who used to work under Daniel Clifford at Midsummer House, only joined the Ilkley restaurant in June, working in partnership with owner/executive chef Simon Gueller.
Commenting on the siteâs maintained star, Yates said: âItâs nice to know that weâre going in the right direction. I think the hard work is about to start but weâve got an excellent team here at the Box Tree â" the management, the owners. I couldnât wish for anything better than the team that weâve got and the team that weâre building in the kitchen. It gets better every day.â
Adam Jackson leaves Black Swan at Oldstead>>
Lawrence Yates named head chef at Michelin-starred Box Tree >>Â
Glenapp Castle appoints Le Champignon Sauvage's Matt Worswick as head chef >>Â
Michelin-starred chef Adam Stokes to leave Glenapp Castle to open solo venture >>