'Upstairs at the Mill' Achieves 4 AA Rosettes

Tuddenham Mill today confirmed its place as one of the UK’s top restaurants, achieving four Rosettes for culinary excellence from the respected AA Restaurant Guide.

The accolade puts the Suffolk hotel’s Upstairs at the Mill restaurant in the top 2.5% of restaurants in the country. It is the first and only restaurant in the county to have achieved four Rosettes, and comes four years after it was awarded three.

The AA gives four Rosettes to restaurants whose cooking “demands national recognition”. It makes the decision following one or more unannounced visits by an AA Restaurant Inspector.

Chef patron Lee Bye said: “This accolade is recognition of the talent, creativity and commitment of an amazing team here at Tuddenham Mill. I could not be prouder to call them my colleagues. It is a career highlight for me personally, too.

“To win this accolade after the most challenging 18 months ever for the hospitality industry makes it even more meaningful, and to bring four Rosettes to Suffolk for the first time is incredible. It also shines a light on the county’s dedicated farmers, fishermen and makers.”

The Upstairs at the Mill menu offers evening diners a five- or seven-course tasting menu (£49/£60) with optional paired wines (£40/£60). Typical dishes include Methwold roe deer, Baron Bigod potato purée, blackberries, three-cornered garlic; Felixstowe gilt head bream, Brancaster mussels sauce, poached salsify; Williams pear galette, Young Buck, Hoxne honey.

Applauding Tuddenham Mill’s achievement, AA Inspector Stephen Jones said the restaurant offered “pin-sharp, modern British cuisine”. Four Rosettes mark an exceptional achievement. “These restaurants exhibit intense ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills, and remarkable consistency. They will combine appreciation of culinary traditions with a passionate desire for further exploration and improvement,” the AA states.

The AA Rosette awards were revealed in an online event on Wednesday 27th October ahead of the publication of the AA Restaurant Guide 2022 on 28th October.