Moor Hall in Lancashire revealed as top restaurant in the UK

Moor Hall has just been named best restaurant in the UK in the twelfth Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards, which were announced during a ceremony at London’s Hurlingham Club this week.

Yorkshire restaurants were peppered throughout the list

A diverse panel of 150 judges, comprising industry experts, chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, voted for the highly esteemed National Restaurant Awards after scouring the UK, visiting everything from top tapas bars to fancy fine dining rooms, barnstorming bistros and great gastropubs.

It is the latest in a string of prestigious awards for the Grade II listed restaurant with rooms in Aughton, Lancashire, which was awarded a Michelin star only six months after opening and given a second star last October. Moor Hall also reached number two in the inaugural Top 100 Restaurants in the north guide.

Chef patron Mark Birchall (pictured above), renowned for creating imaginative and beautiful dishes using seasonal ingredients – many of which have been grown in their own onsite kitchen garden, heads Moor Hall’s kitchen team.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be number one in this year's National Restaurant Awards, “ he said. It’s such a huge achievement, and really shows the hard work and commitment the whole team have put in and we are delighted to continue to fly the flag for the North.  We have had an amazing two years since our opening and we are determined to keep moving, the hard work continues!”

Stefan Chomka, the editor of Restaurant Magazine, said, “Mark is an incredibly talented chef who has a clear ambition to not just create one of the best restaurants in the UK but in the world. Moor Hall is an almost immaculate experience. Mark’s food is clever and inventive but also delicious, the service is exceptional and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. It’s an outstanding restaurant that deserves its title as the best in the UK.”

There was a noticeable increase in restaurants in the Top 100, which are based in the north west and Yorkshire, with 46 based outside London. 

Three northern restaurants made it into the top twenty: L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria, where Mark Birchall was formerly executive head chef, placed at number six, one down from last year’s fifth position. Forest Side in Grasmere, made it to eighteenth place. 

Mana in Ancoats made its debut entry at number 73 and is the only restaurant on the list based in Manchester city centre. Another new entry was The Angel at Hetton (no.56), one of the first gastro pubs in the UK, which was recently taken over by chef Michael Wignall formerly of Michelin starred Gidleigh Park and Pennyhill Park.

Popular Lancashire pub The Parker’s Arms made a massive leap this year to 38^thposition, up almost forty places from last year’s 76^thplace. 

Yorkshire restaurants were peppered throughout the list and included The Black Swan at Oldstead (no.29), Skosh in York (no.40), Roots York (no.42), Burlington at the Devonshire Arms, Skipton (no.46), Man Behind The Curtain, Leeds (no.91), Jöro, Sheffield (no.94) and Le Cochon Aveugle, York (no.95.)

A number of highly rated northern establishments featured in 2018’s list, including Fraiche on the Wirral, Stockport’s Where The Light Gets In, Lancashire’s Michelin-starred Northcote and Elite Bistros’ Wreckfish, Liverpool and Hispi, Didsbury did not make this year’s list at all.

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