A VILLAGE hotel restaurant run by a contestant on TV's Masterchef show, has been named one of the best in the country.

The Minster Mill in Minster Lovell, near Witney, has received three AA rosettes, placing it in the top 10 per cent of all AA-rated restaurants across the UK.

Head chef is Tom Moody,who reached the semi-finals on 2017's Masterchef The Professionals.

The coveted rosettes celebrate dining destinations with the highest quality culinary offerings.

They are awarded to restaurants achieving standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area. Minster Mill was just one of 26 UK restaurants to be newly awarded three rosettes this month.

Restaurants are judged on cooking, the selection and sympathetic treatment of ingredients, timing, seasoning, flavour combinations, intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.

Tom said: “We are delighted to receive this award, especially as we’ve only been open for 18 months. The team has worked so hard since we opened in 2019, and we’ve had great feedback from our guests telling us that they love our food, and it’s such a bonus for our menus to win awards too”.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “This has been an immensely difficult year for the hospitality industry, and yet restaurants across the country have continued to provide incredible dining experiences to the public, despite these considerable challenges.

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“The dedication and hard work of the teams behind these establishments is inspiring, particularly during this time, and we are pleased to be able to celebrate them with the announcement of these AA rosettes.”

Creating contemporary and traditional British food, Tom’s dishes feature the very best regional and seasonal ingredients, supporting British farmers, fishermen and artisan producers.

Oxford Mail:

Served in the vaulted Minster Mill restaurant, featuring a huge open fire and original oak beams, surroundings offer a modern, easy-going ambiance, complemented by the Mill Bar, set in a high gallery overlooking the restaurant.

  • The restaurant at Minster Mill is open Wednesday- Sunday for lunch, dinner and an all-day menu, which is served noon-9.30pm.
  • Visit minstermill.co.uk