squaremeal.co.uk | 11

restaurant news

TOM TOPS ITWe have had a tremendous

response this year in our quest

to nd the BMW Square Meal

Best UK Restaurant 2015. Thousands of votes

ooded in from readers, bloggers and reviewers

from all over the country. The result is a list of

the 50 best places to eat outside London that

showcases the sheer quality and variety of the

UK restaurant scene, and the talent behind it.

Amiable sta and a relaxed atmosphere

have been a running theme among this year's

most notable restaurants, with Artichoke

(in Buckinghamshire) scoring highly thanks

to "friendly, skilled sta " and an open-plan

kitchen that creates a convivial buzz. But that's

not to say ne dining is out. The sumptuous

surroundings and elaborate French cuisine from

André Garrett in the famous stately home of

Cliveden (near Maidenhead) bagged it a place

near the top of the list, while Manchester's

The French by Simon Rogan - renowned for

its opulent decor and tasting menus - was also

a worthy front runner.

HANDS DOWN WINNER

But the winner of our Best UK Restaurant 2015

is Tom Kerridge's Marlow gastropub, The Hand

Flowers. This terri cally popular venture is

the rst (and only) pub to hold two Michelin

stars, and exempli es the trend towards

providing premium dining in an informal

setting. Explaining the philosophy behind the

restaurant, Kerridge commented: "We're all fairly

grounded people who have tried to create an

environment where we would like to spend

time ourselves. We talk to our customers how

we would like to be talked to: normal people

having a chat with other normal people."

"We never set out to win awards," continued

Kerridge, but his unfussy formula of "simple

food with simple ideas that everyone

understands" is clearly a winning one, the key to

success, he says, being "brilliant sta ".

Congratulations to all at The Hand ¢ Flowers,

who join last year's winner Northcote in our

Square Meal BMW Hall of Fame. And a big thank

you to BMW for its sponsorship of the awards

for the 15th consecutive year. You will not be

disappointed by a meal at any of the winners.

Turn to p.58 for the top 50 UK restaurants

Tom Kerridge holds

the award in the

company of his team

DIARY DATE

21 Sept - John Burton-Race re-opens

The New Angel in Notting Hill

Psst!

For the latest news, views and industry

whispers, follow us on Twitter

@squaremeal and find all of our new

reviews on squaremeal.co.uk

Social Butterfl y

Man-of-the-moment Jason Atherton's Social empire will arrive in Covent Garden

as the agship restaurant in the newly converted Bow Street Magistrate's Court

hotel. The as-yet unnamed bar-restaurant will be a new concept for

him and his team, with a nod to the building's history. Atherton has

only just opened Marylebone's Social Wine Tapas (see review,

p.42), and will soon be jetting o to open Marina Social in Dubai,

and Kensington Street Social in Sydney. New Japanese venture

Sosharu is also launching imminently in Clerkenwell. But possibly the

highlight of this stellar career to date is the release of Atherton's very

own fragrance. Ah, the sweet smell of Social success…

JASON ATHERTON PHOTO: STEVE RYAN