2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence for Walwick Hall

In this exclusive Q&A, Walwick Hall Director Rachel Harrison and Head Chef Laurèns Le Gal share their views on the awarding of a very special accolade.

How do you both feel following the awarding of 2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence?

Having both been invested with Walwick Hall right from the beginning, we are thrilled with the achievements and the accolades. A lot of hard work, dedication and love for what you do comes into this and we are overjoyed to receive such prestigious recognition. 

What does this accolade mean for Walwick Hall?

This is for the whole team at Walwick Hall, who work alongside us daily to create something so special.

We have had full confidence in what we do and our food offering for a number of years. And, we truly love experimenting whilst keeping our roots very classical. Working with our kitchen garden and local suppliers has always been our ethos and because we work closely on all menus as a team, it ensures that our guests get the very best food and service.

Are you planning on making any changes to your practice, following this accolade?

We don’t plan on changing anything. There is the old-fashioned saying “If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it”. We will, however, continue to make sure we offer the best service to our guests and continue to provide excellent quality and interesting food. 

We strongly believe food should be enjoyed and that guests should get the chance to experiment slightly while staying within their comfort zones. There should be nothing artificial about what is on a person’s plate, as there are so many natural flavours and colours to use, and each season unlocks something else for us to work with. 

Training will always remain high on our list both for our Front of House team and Kitchen team and we invest heavily into this and love to see people learn. Hospitality is an exciting career to be a part of. 

Where does this rating sit in your professional career?

Accolades and awards were never high on our lists of desired accomplishments when devising Walwick Hall. The plan was to have a luxury hotel that was a world away from the norm, a place with excellent service, and a great restaurant to support this. However, the 2 Rosettes for Culinary Excellence were a lovely surprise and now, to be a part of the AA is wonderful. 

How important is it for both Northumberland and Walwick Hall to be recognised in this way?

It is another way to place Northumberland on the map as a destination in its own right. We love where we live. It has such natural, unspoilt beauty, so opening Walwick Hall to a more national audience is brilliant for the region.

Discover our boutique country hotel’s latest seasonal menus and reserve a 2 AA Rosette dining experience by visiting The Dining Room here.