THE PIG, Paul Ainsworth & Cail Bruich Among Winners At The AA Hospitality Awards 2023

A sparkling array of restaurants, hotels, pubs and spas were crowned winners last night in the 2023 AA Hospitality Awards ceremony, one of the most prestigious events on the hospitality calendar. Hosted by The AA, which introduced its star rating system back in 1908, the awards span 26 categories, spotlighting both the chefs and the venues themselves. So who came out tops this year?

AA Hospitality Awards 2023: The Winners

Cail Bruich by Clair Irwin

Restaurants from all over the country were lauded for their excellence. Four were named Restaurant of the Year: the Michelin-starred Cail Bruich in Glasgow, The Jackdaw in Conwy, Wales, Indian hotspot Chutney Mary in London, and the renowned Old Stamp House in Ambleside, Lake District. 

Lots of eateries were given new Rosettes, with two securing the esteemed 5 Rosette rating: Tom Aikens’ Muse in London, and Steve Smith’s Latymer in Surrey. Six restaurants, meanwhile, secured 4 AA Rosettes, including Sam Buckley’s eco-conscious WhereTheLightGetsIn, and Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall.

Paul outside the No6; image courtesy of Andrew Callaghan

On the chef-focused side of things, Paul Ainsworth was awarded AA Chef’s Chef, celebrated for his culinary influence in Cornwall, where he runs restaurants including the eponymous Paul Ainsworth at No. 6.

The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Angela Hartnett OBE, one of the UK’s top chefs who currently spearheads London favourites Murano and Cafe Murano.

In the hotels world, The PIG took home the AA Sustainable Award for its impressive environmental efforts. The hotel group focuses on locally sourced produce from its own kitchen gardens, alongside English wine, and recent initiatives have included a ‘reduce and reuse’ programme, which has saved over 140,00 bottles. It is also a long-term supporter of charities Action for Hunger and Hospitality Action.

South Lodge Spa © Amy Murrell

Those looking for some top-class R&R should head to South Lodge, which secured the Spa Hotel of the Year award. Set within a natural landscape in west Sussex, a 44,000 sq ft spa complete with its own outdoor hydrotherapy pool, a thermal suite and wild swimming opportunities, it’s a cut above the rest.

Sleek London hotel Pan Pacific London won the AA Accessible Award, with judges praising the ‘level of detail and range of accessible provision on offer’. The hotel has 24 accessible rooms, plus lots of accessible toilets and a pool hoist in the spa.

You can find the full list of winner at ratedtrips.com