A total of 15 restaurants have lost stars in the newly launched Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2018, published today.
The Dining Room at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury lost two stars as a result of the departure of former executive chef Martin Burge 11 months ago. However, the five-red-AA-star, 23-bedroom hotel, where Niall Keating replaced Burge in December 2016, has been awarded one star in the new guide.
The rest of the deletions, involving the loss of one star, include Dabbous in London, which closed up shop as chef-proprietor Ollie Dabbous focused on launching the restaurant at the newly opened Henrietta hotel in Covent Garden.
Other restaurants have lost stars due to a change of chef. They include the five-AA-star, 33-bedroom Bath Priory, which saw the departure of Sam Moody in September 2016 as executive chef to move to Ballyfin, one of Ireland's most renowned country house hotels. Michael Nizzero replaced Moody in January this year, after moving to Bath from his previous role as premier sous chef at the Ritz London.
Tim Allen left the Wild Rabbit in Kingham, Oxfordshire, in July and last month was appointed executive director of food and beverage at Select Property Group. He is set to open a joint restaurant venture with the company in Manchester in spring 2018.
Meanwhile, Anton Piotrowski left Treby Arms in Sparkwell, Devon, in March after six years, and is set to open Röski restaurant in Liverpool in December; and Paul Leonard left the Isle of Eriska (pictured) in Argyll & Bute to move to a head chef role at the Burlington restaurant at the Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa in Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire. Leonard has since been replaced as head chef at Isle of Eriska by Conor Toomey, from Amberley Castle in Amberley, West Sussex.
Lords of the Manor in Upper Slaughter saw the departure of executive chef Richard Picard-Edwards in December 2016. He has recently been appointed head chef at Lartington Hall in Barnard Castle, County Durham, while his former role has gone to Charles Smith, former head chef at Alyn Williams at the Westbury, London.
At the Samling in Ambleside, Cumbria, Nick Edgar stepped down as head chef, to be replaced by Peter Howarth, who is due to join the 11-bedroom hotel from Gidleigh Park hotel restaurant in Chagford, Devon, this month.
On the island of Jersey, it was announced earlier this year that Mark Jordan would be leaving the one-Michelin-star Ocean restaurant at the four-red-AA-star, 50-bedroom Atlantic hotel in Jersey, after 13 years as executive head chef. He is being replaced later this month by Will Holland from Coast restaurant in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire. Jordan will open Cow & Lobster in Jersey's capital St Helier on 17 October.
The full list of deleted Michelin stars are as follows:
Deleted 2 stars
The Dining Room at Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire (change of chef)
Deleted 1 star
Dabbous, London (closed)
The Samling, Ambleside, Cumbria (change of chef)
Bath Priory, Bath, Somerset (change of chef)
Turners@69, Birmingham
Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire (change of chef)
Alimentum, Cambridge
Ocean, Atlantic hotel, Jersey (change of chef)
Sir Charles Napier, Chinnor, Buckinghamshire
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire (change of chef)
Treby Arms, Sparkwell, Devon (change of chef)
Isle of Eriska, Argyll & Bute (change of chef)
Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye
Pidgin, London
5 North St, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
Michelin removes stars from 16 restaurants >>
Martin Burge departs from two-Michelin starred Whatley Manor >>
Chef Tim Allen named executive director of F&B at Select Property Group >>
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