Thornbury Castle awarded three rosette status
The AA Awards has announced its latest rosette award winners and Thornbury Castle near Bristol has achieved Three Rosette status. The AA Rosette award was the first nationwide scheme for assessing the quality of food served by restaurants and hotels.
The rosettes celebrate successful cooking and Three Rosette status is given to ‘outstanding restaurants’ that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area. Furthermore, the cooking is underpinned by the selection of the highest quality ingredients and being consistently excellent, together with the restaurant team offering intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.
Executive Chef Carl Cleghorn has worked at Thornbury Castle since 2020 and is delighted with this recognition. He commented “Words cannot describe how thrilled I am of being awarded three AA Rosette. I’m extremely proud of the hard work and dedication my whole team back and front of house have put in over the past 12 months and to achieve this accolade is a great privilege. We are lucky to work with the best local suppliers and incorporate some of our homegrown produce from our kitchen garden to create exceptional dishes that highlight the seasons.”
The menus change with the season and when the produce is at its best, Carl works alongside his head gardener, Matt Bufton, planning the year’s crop and when the produce from the garden is sowed and harvest.
The menus at Thornbury Castle offer either a three or six course, with the option for a wine pairing for both. Some of the seasonal dishes on the a la carte includes Bath Ale braised onion with old Winchester cheese, as well as a beautiful main of Westend Farm pork with cauliflower and mustard. A favourite dessert is Rhubarb, milk mousse and sour dough.
The six-course signature tasting menu includes Creedy carver duck with rhubarb, hibiscus and ginger, Cornish cod with fennel and bouillabaisse and a beautifully crafted Manuka honey parfait with lemon and meringue. Prices start from £78 for a la carte and six course tasting £92 with options to pair each dish with carefully selected wines.
Carl works alongside food and beverage manager Frederic Bellard and he and his Sommeliers have expertly chosen a selection of 200 wines from England, Europe and the New World.
Simone Arcucci, Hotel General Manager, is delighted with this achievement; the culmination of a two year vision at Thornbury Castle. The hotel is now hoping to welcome new guests and discerning food lovers looking for a truly unique experience, combining Tudor History and a love of food and wine.
Food served at Thornbury Castle includes breakfast, afternoon tea, Sunday lunch and dinner each evening. For those wishing to stay, there are 26 bedchambers and suites, each offering their own unique style and design. A favourite is the Henry VII Suite in the North Suite, with views over the castle’s beautiful walled gardens. Overnight stays this spring cost from £349.00 (bed & breakfast) subject to availability.