The AA Hospitality Awards has revealed its shortlist for its prestigious Chef’s Chef of the Year Award – and nearly half of the nominees are from London.
From a 12-strong list of some of the country’s most celebrated chefs, five work at London restaurants.
The list includes Clare Smyth of Notting Hill favourite Core, Andrew Wong of A. Wong and Kym’s, and international restaurateur Jason Atherton, whose six-strong portfolio of London restaurants includes Pollen Street Social and will soon expand to include The Betterment at the Biltmore hotel, opening later this month. Further London nominees including Angela Hartnett of Murano and Hélène Darroze of her soon-to-reopen eponymous restaurant at the Connaught.
The award, which has been part of the AA Hospitality Awards since 1996, allows all chefs with an AA Rosette to vote for the peer who they believe most deserves the recognition for their work over the previous year. Last year, the award was given to Bibendum chef Claude Bosi, and this year’s accolade will be presented to the 2019 winner at a ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on September 23.
Moving across England, the full list includes Mark Birchall of National Restaurant Award-winning Moor Hall, Lisa Goodwin-Allen of Northcote, Aaron Patterson of Hambleton Hall, and Paul Ainsworth of Paul Ainsworth at No.6 in Cornwall.
Wales is represented by Ynyshir’s Gareth Ward and James Sommerin of his eponymous Penarth restaurant, while Scottish chef Tom Kitchin of Edinburgh’s The Kitchin rounds out the list.
For more information on the AA Hospitality Awards, visit theaa.com
