Michelin star chef Simon Rogan’s Cumbrian restaurant, L’Enclume, has taken the top spot in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2014, beating Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck to the accolade.
L’Enclume was named as Britain’s best restaurant in the bestselling guide, which ranks the UK’s top 50 restaurants each year by awarding them with a cooking score out of ten.
The riverside restaurant, in the Lake District, was given top marks for the second year in a row.
Elizabeth Carter, Consultant Editor of the Good Food Guide, said Rogan was leading the way with modern British cooking at his two-Michelin-star restaurant, L’Enclume.
“His fantastic way with seasonal ingredients from the Cumbrian land and coast brings dishes that are a joyful celebration of this county’s magnificent diversity,” she said. “L’Enclume is truly deserving of the number one spot.”
Rogan, who was named in Elite Traveler‘s 15 Most Influential Chefs of the Next Decade last month, said: “I’m so proud of my staff and this phenomenal achievement with the Good Food Guide.
“This is something we have always dreamed about. We have received this accolade because of our focus on both the food product and the customer – keeping it natural and fresh in the kitchen, and friendly but professional in the dining room.
“The development of the infrastructure behind the scenes has also been a key factor to our success as we are constantly evolving and improving what we have in place, and will continue to do so.”
Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, which came second in the ranking, was awarded a perfect 10 for the sixth year in a row – longer than any other restaurant since the scoring system was adopted by the guide in 1998.
All ten restaurants from the 2013 edition have kept their spots in the 2014 Top 10 ranking, with Cornish Restaurant Nathan Outlaw rising to number three.
Restaurant Sat Bains, in Nottinghamshire, was ranked as the fourth best restaurant in Britain, while Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in London, was named fifth.
Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social, in London, came sixth and Hibiscus, also in the capital, moved up one spot to number seven.
Phil Howard’s The Square and Brett Graham’s The Ledbury, both in London, have risen to spots eight and nine respectively, while Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is ranked at number ten.