Cottage in the Wood in Cumbria achieves three AA Rosettes

The Cottage in the Wood, in Whinlatter Forest, was recognised at the autumn edition of the AA Hospitality Awards at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London.

The Cumbrian restaurant was one of only 13 in the UK to receive the three-rosette award, joining the likes of Skosh in York and HUMO in London.

This makes The Cottage in the Wood one of only 240 establishments in the UK to be recognised in this way.

Each year, the AA’s inspectors travel across the UK, sampling the nation's culinary offerings, before announcing their Rosette recommendations in January and September.

Jack and Beth Bond’s restaurant is 'enhancing' Cumbria and the Northwest region’s reputation for quality cuisine.

The Cottage in the Wood three AA Rosette Plate Award (Image: Supplied)

The 'imaginative, locally focused' menus created by chef-owner Jack Bond have rapidly propelled the restaurant's reputation forward since he took over the kitchen in January.

He and his wife Beth purchased The Cottage in the Wood from previous owners Kath and Liam Berney upon their retirement in July.

Mr Bond's 'sustainable and locally focused food philosophy' has proven to be a successful formula.

He is committed to serving fresh produce, striving to deliver the highest quality possible while keeping his dishes 'innovative and exciting'.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: "This incredible celebration is a true testament to the strength and innovation within our industry.

"The dedication and excellence demonstrated by all the hospitality teams have been nothing short of inspiring.

Beth and Jack Bond at Cottage in the Wood (Image: Lara Luis)

"Congratulations to all the winners, nominees, and new Rosette holders for their remarkable contributions."

The AA Rosette Awards, which first appeared in 1956, assess the quality of food served by restaurants and hotels nationwide.

Only around 10 per cent of restaurants in the UK are of a standard worthy of one Rosette and above, making a three-Rosette award a significant achievement.

Jack and Beth Bond said: "We’re over the moon for the whole team at The Cottage in the Wood.

"This is the start of what we hope will be a hugely rewarding journey for the team and we’d like to thank them for going on this journey with us and to say a huge thanks to each of them for all their hard work so far.

"As a team, we’ll celebrate the award for the next couple of days but it’s business as normal from Wednesday and we’ll all continue to push to be the best we can be going forward to ensure that consistency and quality are at the forefront of all that we do."

To achieve a three-rosette award, a restaurant must deliver 'outstanding standards' consistently.

The cooking must be of the 'highest standard', underpinned by the selection and 'sympathetic treatment' of the highest quality ingredients.

The chefs must demonstrate excellent timing, seasoning, and judgement of flavour.

The award also considers the delivery of service by the front-of-house team, including the delivery of 'intuitive service'.