Restaurant near Horsham hailed as one of the finest in Britain

The accolade has been bestowed on The Pass at South Lodge Hotel in Lower Beeding thanks to chef Ben Wilkinson.

The restaurant has received three AA rosettes ‘standing out for its selection and treatment of the highest quality ingredients and consistently excellent flavour combinations.’

An AA inspector said: “New head chef Ben Wilkinson arrived at South Lodge in August 2022 and has been busy putting his stamp on things. This is a restaurant that takes the concept of the chef’s table to its ultimate conclusion – an intimate dining experience set in the kitchen itself (floor to ceiling glass walls keep the atmosphere relatively calm).

“Spot on modern cooking, seasonally directed and elegantly constructed, comes in the form of an eight-course tasting menu that might feature refined flavours of ajo blanco (white gazpacho) with prawn and grapes, beef cheek with truffle and hen of the woods, and superbly-timed turbot with winter chanterelles and white asparagus.”

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, which operates the AA Rosette scheme, said: “This year we’ve seen an exceptional level of culinary excellence demonstrated by those receiving our coveted AA Rosettes, and Ben Wilkinson at The Pass, South Lodge, is no exception.

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“I’m constantly inspired by the resilience, innovation, and quality demonstrated by these trailblazers in our industry, and West Sussex is lucky to be home to such an impressive restaurant. Congratulations to all the worthy winners.”   

Established in 1956, the AA Rosette awards have long been a marker of leading restaurant and hotel venues across the UK.