Hurrah For Hampshire Platefuls
The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2021 announced their awarding of Stars, Bibs and Plates last week at an online-only presentation.
In Hampshire 19 pubs and restaurants were awarded a coveted Plate Michelin. These recognise a good meal, carefully prepared with fresh ingredients, and are judged by the same five criteria used for Starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants. Nine of them are Hampshire Fare members, including: Chesil Rectory, Winchester; Crown Inn, Upton; Greyhound on the Test, Stockbridge; Hartnett Holder & Co, Lime Wood, Lyndhurst; Purefoy Arms, Preston Candover; The Pig, Brockenhurst; The Terrace, The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu; The Thomas Lord, West Meon; The Three Tuns, Romsey.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, said: “The Michelin Guide is about so much more than recognising those at the top of their profession; it is about promoting the hospitality industry as a whole and we want to shine a light on the hard work, tenacity and commitment of chefs and restaurant teams.
“We want to promote the industry as much as we possibly can... It’s not just the restaurants themselves. By celebrating our wonderful industry we also recognise all those who depend upon it and are part of the supply chain, from bakers and butchers, to farmers and fishermen.
“Work started on this guide in August 2019, so much had been done by the first lockdown in March last year. Yes, there have been challenges, but by delaying publication for an extra four months and making this guide digital only we were able to get everything done. The methodology remained the same and there was no change in the standards we looked for. The integrity of the guide means everything to us – to have compromised it in any way would be unfair to our readers and disrespectful to the industry.
“We all have memories of great meals, of favourite restaurants, of nights out with friends. Restaurants will not be closed forever and someday soon we will be able to start making plans. We will have birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate; family to meet; dates to go on – and for all these things and more we will choose restaurants. The world of hospitality is embedded in our culture and will soon be part of our everyday lives once again."
Image of Chesil Rectory by The Electric Eye