The 2009 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland has named 21 new restaurants as Bib Gourmands, a move reflecting a continued trend within the UK dining market towards competitive pricing.
The Bib Gourmand status is awarded to a restaurant offering “good food at moderate prices” at £28 or less for three courses (€40 in Ireland).
The 21 new Bib Gourmands bring the total to 136, more than ever before.
Restaurants recognised include The Modern Pantry, Hereford Road, Le Cassoulet and Gordon Ramsay’s Foxtrot Oscar in London, as well as Greens’ Dining Room in Bristol, the Royal Well Tavern in Cheltenham, and the Ginger Fox in Henfield.
Derek Bulmer, editor of Michelin’s Great Britain & Ireland and London guides told Caterersearch that despite a flurry of French chefs launching top-end fine dining restaurants in the UK, there was still a “definite trend” towards more informal dining.
“There are more and more restaurants offering value for money, especially in London, which is reflected in the unprecedented number of Bib Gourmands awarded this year,” he said.
“It’s what consumers want and it’s almost as though these restaurateurs had a crystal ball telling them how things would develop.”
Bulmer added that under the current economic climate restaurants will be vulnerable.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if restaurants will fail over the coming months, he said. “The ones that will succeed will maintain high standards, control costs and offer value for money.”
The full list of Bib Gourmand awards 2009
England
The Meadow, Brighton, Hove, Sussex
Green's Dining Room, Bristol
Royal Well Tavern, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
The Bakers Arms, Droxford, Hampshire
The Ginger Fox, Henfield, West Sussex
The Kingham Plough, Kingham, Oxfordshire
The Peat Spade Inn, Stockbridge, Longstock, Hampshire
The Café at Daylesford Organic, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire
The Bruce Arms, West Tanfield, North Yorkshire
The Bell Inn, Yarpole, Herefordshire
London
Bradley's, Camden
Giaconda Dining Room, Camden
Market, Camden
Le Cassoulet, Croydon, Surrey
Medcalf, Islington
The Modern Pantry, Islington
Foxtrot Oscar, Chelsea
Mango and Silk, Richmond-upon-Thames
Hereford Road, Bayswater and Maida Vale
Dehesa, Soho
Scotland
The Dogs, Edinburgh
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Michelin names four ‘rising stars’ >>
17 restaurants awarded three AA rosettes >>
Diners are eating out less, but spending more >>
UK's eating out market value drops 13% >>
By Kerstin Kühn
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