22 Sept 2026

Winners of AA Hospitality Awards revealed

DMH

AA Media has revealed the winners of its 2026 awards, honouring the exceptional accomplishments of British hospitality professionals.

Celebrating 70 years of the AA Rosette award, close to 1,000 guests gathered at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London for one of the most prestigious evenings in the hospitality calendar.

The awards recognise the hospitality industry’s incredible people, hotels, restaurants, spas, inns and B&Bs, as well as the teams behind the scenes, who are setting the standard for hospitality excellence across the sector.

Leading chef, Adam Byatt of Trinity restaurant was voted by his fellow AA Rosette-holding chefs as the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year 2026 (sponsored by Woods Foodservice). Through his creativity and innovation, Adam has become known for his classically rooted seasonal cooking, with a focus on bold, honest flavours. At Trinity, this translates into an imaginative, distinctive culinary style that reflects the very best of who Adam is.

Adam Byatt said of his win: “Winning this award is a huge honour. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have been chosen as this year’s AA Chef’s Chef of the Year out of such an esteemed group.”

Simon Numphud FIH, Managing Director of AA Hotel & Hospitality Services said: “The AA Hospitality Awards exist to recognise the passion, dedication and high standards that go into delivering exceptional hospitality, and this year’s winners are a wonderful example of that. These awards recognise incredible people in our industry who care deeply about what they do to give their guests the very best experience.

AA Hospitality Awards – 2026 winners

AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year

  • Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurant, London

AA Lifetime Achievement Award

  • David Morgan-Hewitt of The Goring, London

AA Outstanding Contribution Award

  • Adam Terpening FIH, Charity Director for Room to Reward - Registered Charity

AA Restaurant of the Year

  • England – The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire
  • London – AngloThai, London
  • Wales – The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
  • Scotland – Swadish By Ajay Kumar, Glasgow, Glasgow City

AA Group of the Year

  • The Celtic Collection, Newport, South Wales

AA Hotel of the Year

  • London – The Emory, London
  • England – Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
  • Scotland – Crossbasket Castle, High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
  • Wales – Porth Tocyn Hotel, Abersoch, Gwynedd
  • Northern Ireland – Culloden Estate and Spa, Holywood, County Down

AA Small Hotel Group of the Year

  • Firmdale Hotels PLC, London

AA Small Hotel Team of the Year

  • Knockendarroch Hotel & Restaurant, Pitlochry, Perthshire

AA Large Hotel Team of the Year

  • St. Ermin's Hotel - Autograph Collection, London

AA Wine Award

  • England and Overall – etch. by Steven Edwards, Brighton, East Sussex
  • Wales – The Jackdaw, Conwy, Conwy County Borough
  • Scotland – Knockinaam Lodge Hotel, Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway

AA Rising Star of the Year

  • IIona Harris, Cromlix, Kinbuck, Stirling

AA Housekeeper of the Year

  • Katarzyna Celinska, The Bloomsbury, London

AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year

  • The Black Swan at Oldstead, Oldstead, North Yorkshire

AA Inn of the Year

  • The Penny Bun, Otley, West Yorkshire

AA B&B of the Year

  • Lys-Na-Greyne, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire

AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year

  • House of George W. Davies, Broadway, Worcestershire

AA Spa Hotel of the Year

  • Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, Fife

AA Sustainable Award

  • Malmaison & Hotel du Vin, Nationwide

AA College Restaurant of the Year

  • The Classroom, Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff

New 4 Rosettes

  • Frog By Adam Handling, London
  • Hide and Fox, Hythe, Kent
  • Ikoyi, London
  • Inver, Strathlachlan, Argyll and Bute
  • LI~LY Restaurant by Aiden Byrne, Knutsford, Cheshire
  • The Cocochine, London

New 3 Rosettes

  • AngloThai, London
  • Daise by Tony Parkin, Wirral, Merseyside
  • FERN, Nanstallon, Cornwall
  • Flavour, Tarbert, Western Isles
  • KYND at Hampton Manor, Solihull, West Midlands
  • Langar Hall Hotel, Langar, Nottinghamshire
  • Lofft, Cardiff
  • Luna Omakase, London
  • Orrery by Pierre Minotti, London
  • Restaurant Elm, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
  • Sō-lō Restaurant, Aughton, Lancashire
  • St Barts, London
  • The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Bath, Somerset
  • The Gunroom Restaurant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
  • Tom Brown at The Capital, London

New 5 Red Stars

  • Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo
  • Langdale Chase, Windermere, Cumbria
  • The Chancery Rosewood, London
  • The Emory, London

New 4 Red Stars

  • Holmes Hotel, London
  • Penmaenuchaf Dolgellau, Dolgellau, Gwynedd

The full list of this year’s AA Hospitality Awards winners can be found on the AA’s Rated Trips website here

All of 2026’s restaurant award winners and new Rosette holders feature in the AA Restaurant Guide 2027, a definitive guide showcasing the finest cuisine the UK has to offer.

The AA Hospitality Awards would also like to thank their sponsors; Matthew Clark Bibendum, People 1st, eviivo, IHS & Maes, RAW Charging, The Fork, Taittinger, Cobra, Venners, St Ewes, Johnsons Hotel Linen, Sky, Sealy, RAK, Clockwork Marketing, Taylors of Harrogate, La Bottega collective, Umbrella Training, World Pay, Caterer.com, Woods Foodservice, James Hallam, Chabé.

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