A BRAINTREE restaurant is overjoyed after it was once again rewarded for its culinary excellence.
The House by Hilly Gant, in New Street, has earned a second Rosette award.
Rated Trips’ AA Rosette award scheme assesses the quality of food served by restaurants and hotels.
The restaurant earned its first rosette in 2018 and has now achieved a second one.
Two rosettes are awarded to the best restaurants, which aim to achieve higher standards, better consistency, "greater precision" in cooking and "obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients”.
Businessman Robert Ely has owned The House by Hilly Gant since 2015.
He said: "The inspector was very impressed this year.
"He had our chicken liver parfait to start, which is the same starter they normally have, given the level skill required to execute it well.
"He had the fillet of beef for main, a customer favourite but generally not something we’d expect an inspector to have.
"He would have been looking at the standard of our red wine jus as a huge amount of work goes into getting this perfect, the potato pavé and of course the quality of the steak, its seasoning and cooking.
"He finished with a crème brûlée. A crisp top, a perfectly smooth and creamy base and a fresh out of the oven shortbread biscuit meant we secured two rosettes.
"This accolade puts us amongst the top ten restaurants in the county."
Mr Ely continued: “I couldn’t be more proud of my team. It’s so well deserved, they have worked so hard and sacrificed so much.
"Thanks to all the team, head chef Sam McGee, sous chef Radley Gill and other kitchen staff Dan Roman and Grace Lee, front of house too, manager Suzanne Ager, assistant manager Harry Aspris and head waitress Sam Mills.
“A massive thank you as well to all our customers and anyone who has supported us in recent times as quite simply with them we wouldn’t be here.
"The team have become like a family and it can be felt right through the restaurant, from the food to the service.
"It’s been an incredibly hard time for this particular part of the sector and this accolade demonstrates that what we do, at a professional level, is being acknowledged."
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