Latymer, the fine-dining restaurant at Exclusive Collection’s Pennyhill Park in Surrey, has been awarded a Michelin star less than a year after welcoming new Head Chef Steve Smith.
The much-lauded accolade for the luxury hotel and Smith follows a recent recognition from the AA Restaurant Guide which awarded the restaurant an impressive four rosette rating.
Smith commented, “I am absolutely thrilled for myself, our kitchen team and our front of house team led by Charlotte Besson. Everyone works tirelessly to make sure that we meet and wherever possible exceed the expectations of our guests.
'Having only joined Latymer in February and considering the disruption that Covid has caused the hospitality industry, this is an absolutely huge achievement that we are all incredibly proud of.
'We must also thank Michelin for this recognition and all of our customers for their continued support and warm hearted best wishes. What's exciting is that both myself and Charlotte know that there is so much more that we can do to improve our product for our customers, so this is just the start of our journey at Latymer.”
Meanwhile, Exclusive Collection’s Wiltshire-based property, The Manor House in Castle Combe is celebrating its fifth consecutive year of retaining a Michelin-star at Bybrook Restaurant with Head Chef Rob Potter at the helm.
Potter said, “We are so pleased to have retained our Michelin star status here at Bybrook for the fifth year running. 2020 presented an incredibly challenging landscape for the hospitality industry and we feel proud to have been able to showcase the best that Bybrook has to offer, each and every time we were able to open our doors.
'My team and I look forward to many more opportunities to welcome guests to the restaurant throughout 2021, which we hope will see a fruitful return of the hospitality industry”.
Danny Pecorelli, Managing Director at the Exclusive Collection, said, “We are so delighted to learn that the Michelin guide has recognised Steve Smith’s talents, in awarding his vision of Latymer a star such a short time after he took the helm of the restaurant, alongside Rob Potter’s continued success and commitment to Bybrook at The Manor House.
'It is of significance to us here at Exclusive Collection that both chefs’ passion for seasonal and sustainable produce has been celebrated, as we drive our sustainability mission forwards for the entirety of our luxury hotel collection. We wish Steve and Rob, and their brigades, the very best for 2021.”.