Raymond Blanc, chef-patron of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, has been crowned AA Chefs' Chef of the Year 2005.

	Raymond Blanc has been honoured in the new AA guide; Tom Aikens achieved four rosettes just 18 months after his restaurant opened

Blanc said receiving the accolade was a "great acknowledgement" and "one of the greatest awards you can receive".

The AA said Blanc had been awarded the title because of his tutelage of other great chefs and continued dedication to the industry through his scholarships and cookery school.

Blanc was given the title of Chefs' Chef as the AA released details about its new 2005Restaurant Guide, which is published next Thursday (30 September).

Tom Aikens has stormed into the listings, gaining four rosettes just 18 months after opening his eponymous restaurant in London.

It was also good news for Marcus Wareing's restaurant, Pétrus, which returned to five-rosette status. P‚trus was barred from getting top marks in the 2002 guide by AA managing director Roger Wood, and was again absent from the guide last year following a move to the Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge.

Wareing was not surprised at the restaurant's success and said he would have questioned the decision if Pétrus had not achieved the maximum five rosettes.

London's Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel was also awarded five rosettes. David Nicholls, chef and director of food and beverage at the hotel, attributed the award to his team's ability to maintain standards and to the skills of Chris Staines, head chef at the property's Foliage restaurant.

But it was not all promotions in this year's guide, with some notable demotions as well. Michel Roux Jnr's Le Gavroche restaurant in London's Mayfair lost one of its rosettes and now has only three, as does the Castle House in Hertfordshire.

Stuart McLeod, executive head chef at Castle House, said the demotion was "a bit of shock".

He added: "We have a style that's fairly consistent. Maybe it was cutting edge a couple of years ago, but not now."


Who's up and who's down...

The promoted
- Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles - four rosettes (2004: three)
- Juniper - four rosettes (2004: three)
- Tom Aikens - four rosettes (2004: unrated)
- Castleton House hotel - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Glenapp Castle - three rosettes (2004: two)
- JSW - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Lewtrenchard Manor - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Norton House hotel - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Savoy Grill - new entry at three rosettes
- Berkeley Square - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Lygon Arms - three rosettes (2004: two)
- Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park - five rosettes (2004: four)
- Pétrus - five rosettes (2004: unrated)

The demoted
- Le Gavroche - three rosettes (2004: four)
- Castle House - three rosettes (2004: four)
- Drones - two rosettes (2004: three)
- McClements - two rosettes (2004: three)