Josephine, Forest Side, Skof: All The Winners From The AA Hospitality Awards 2025

Last night, chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers gathered at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House for one of the biggest nights on the culinary calendar, the AA Hospitality Awards. 

AA Restaurant of the Year 2025

Among the awards, four eateries were named restaurant of the year. In London, Josephine took home the gong, a neighbourhood bistro in Chelsea helmed by Claude and Lucy Bosi. The restaurant channels Bosi’s Lyonnaise roots with traditional dishes like French onion soup, rabbit with tarragon sauce, and veal sweetbread. It features cosy, timeless interiors courtesy of Fabled Studio, with closely packed, candlelit tables and antique mirrors lining the walls. 

L’Enclume chef Tom Barnes’ Skof in Manchester, meanwhile, was named the best restaurant in England. Since opening in 2024, the eatery has garnered critical acclaim, spotlighting produce from Simon Rogan’s Cumbrian farm across two tasting menus (one entry-level and a more luxurious version). 

In Scotland, The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh won the award. The brainchild of chef-patron Roberta Hall McCarron, the bistro originally opened in 2018, moving to a larger venue in 2021, serving classic British fare with a slight French influence.

Finally, Cardiff’s Gorse claimed the top spot for Wales. The Michelin-starred restaurant is run by Tom Waters, who honed his craft at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray. It’s all about showcasing the bountiful produce of Wales amid relaxed, unpretentious surroundings. 

New Rosettes

Many restaurants were also given new Rosettes, one of the most prestigious culinary awards. Two venues secured the esteemed 5 AA Rosette status: Lake District hotel Forest Side in Grasmere, and Jason Atherton’s flagship London restaurant Row on 5. These are described by the AA as ‘the very pinnacle, where the cooking competes with the best in the world.’

Six places secured 4 Rosettes, including Source at Gilpin Hotel in Cumbria, and Haar, a seafood-focused spot in St Andrews. Meanwhile, 13 eateries now boast 3 AA Rosette status, such as Sussex hotel Gravetye Manor, and glitzy Japanese restaurant Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane in London.

Hotels

The Sustainable Award for 2025 went to Gleneagles in Scotland, which is on a mission to reach net zero emissions by 2040. Five hotels were also named Hotel of the Year, including green champion 1 Hotel Mayfair in London, 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh, and St Brides Spa Hotel in Pembrokeshire.

Gleneagles

Chefs

A whole host of chefs also went home with personal awards. Gareth Ward, the name behind acclaimed Welsh restaurant-with-rooms Ynyshir, was named AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year 2025, voted for by his industry peers. Located on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, the rural dining room is known for its mammoth Japanese-inspired menu, which features up to 30 courses, served amid a matte black dining room with a pumping techno soundtrack.

Legendary English-French chef Michel Roux Jr and his cousin Alain Roux, who runs the three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in Bray, were given the Outstanding Contribution award.

A new trophy for 2025 is the Rising Star of the Year, which went to Nataliia Maiseionok, from Derbyshire hotel Fischer’s Baslow Hall. Maiseionok relocated to the UK from Ukraine in 2022, beginning her career as a waitress and working her way up to becoming a sommelier through self-funded education. 

‘Winning this award means that I’ve been on the right path and the effort, dedication, and commitment I’ve invested in gaining knowledge in a field I’m truly passionate about has not been in vain,’ she said. ‘I feel genuinely at home in this profession, and while there is still so much more to learn, this only adds to the joy because for a true explorer, discovery is the greatest reward.’

Full List Of Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award 

James Thomson OBE of Prestonfield, Edinburgh

Outstanding Contribution Award 

Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr

Restaurants of the Year 

• England – Skof, Manchester
• London – Joséphine, London
• Wales – Gorse, Cardiff
• Scotland – The Little Chartroom, Edinburgh

Hotels of the Year 

• England – The Cavendish Hotel, Derbyshire
• London – 1 Hotel Mayfair, London
• Wales – St Brides Spa Hotel, Pembrokeshire
• Scotland – 100 Princes Street, Edinburgh
• Northern Ireland – The Old Inn, County Down

Group of the Year 

Daniel Thwaites (hotels, inns and spas)

Small Hotel Group of the Year 

Brend Collection

Wine Award 

• England and Overall – Sketch Lecture Room & Library, London
• Wales – Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms, Eglwys Fach
• Scotland – Timberyard, Edinburgh

Rising Star of the Year

Nataliia Maiseionok – Fischer’s Baslow Hall, Derbyshire

Housekeeper of the Year 

Amit Pal – Prestonfield, Edinburgh

Sustainable Award 

The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland

Inn of the Year

The George Inn, Somerset

B&B of the Year

The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon

Restaurant with Rooms of the Year

Restaurant Interlude, West Sussex

Spa Hotel of the Year 

Hoar Cross Hall, Staffordshire

Restaurant Team Award

The Goring, London

College Restaurant of the Year  

@34 Restaurant – Exeter College

Forest Side

New 5 Rosettes

• Forest Side, Grasmere
• Row on 5, London

New 4 Rosettes

• Cedar Tree Restaurant by Hrishikesh Desai, Cumbria
• HAAR, Fife
• Restaurant Interlude, West Sussex
• Forge @ Middleton Estate, North Yorkshire
• Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, Newcastle Upon Tyne
• SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel, Cumbria

New 3 Rosettes

• The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest, Northumberland
• Skof, Manchester
• The Horn of Plenty, Devon
• The Greyhound, Buckinghamshire
• Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, Daventry
• The Avenue at Lainston House, Winchester
• Sushi Kanesaka (45 Park Lane), London
• Melton’s, North Yorkshire
• Gorse, Cardiff
• The Braywood, Berkshire
• The Homestead Kitchen, North Yorkshire
• The Three Chimneys, Colbost
• Gravetye Manor, West Hoathly

New 5 Red Stars

Raffles London at The OWO, London

Find out more at aahospitalitywards.com