I was at this year’s Michelin Ceremony in Manchester - and I can’t wait for it to come to Scotland in 2025
It’s one of the biggest dates in the hospitality calendar, as chefs and business owners find out if they’ve gained a coveted Michelin Star.
For the first time this year, I attended the Michelin Ceremony for Great Britain and Ireland. It’s the night where chefs will find out if they’ve won or gained a coveted Michelin Star. Arriving early, it was fascinating to see the crowd of, often very well known, names descend on the Midland hotel in Manchester, where the ceremony was taking place. This isn’t, as you might expect, a fancy sit down dinner but more a chance to mingle with drinks and canapes before sitting down to the ceremony. My colleague and I felt very Anna Wintour having bagged front row seats. It was a night to remember for Mark Donald and his team, as they were awarded a second star for the Glenturret Lalique restaurant. Ryan McHarg from The Spence at The Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh was also awarded the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award. Other Scottish restaurants already in the guide maintained their stars. Those were the big news events for Scotland, with most of the guide being dominated by London restaurants. After this, there were more drinks - including a dram or two of Macallan - and canapes, then a chance to celebrate at the after party.
Now, for the first time, this ceremony of fine dining, creativity and drive to be the best, will be coming to Scotland and it’s set to be a real showcase of our world class produce. Scotland Food & Drink and Glasgow Life have come together to facilitate the event, which will be held on 10 February 2025. The Scottish Government has provided £90,000 funding to Scotland Food and Drink which has also invested £50,000, to enable the Michelin Guide to take place in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery, with a cocktail afterparty, held at The Old Fruitmarket. It’s an understatement to say that this is an important decision, given that Glasgow’s restaurant scene has grown and evolved into the most exciting in the country. Up until 2021 the city hadn’t had a Michelin Star restaurant since Gordon Ramsay’s Amaryllis, which shut in 2004. Lorna McNee put a stop to that hiatus by being awarded one star for Cail Bruich, an achievement which was quickly followed by Unalome by Greame Cheevers in 2022. Now the big names of the UK restaurant will descend on Glasgow, hopefully sticking around long enough to try some of the city's best restaurants. It’s also a chance to showcase the best of Scottish produce, as Seafood Scotland knows all too well. Adam Wing, head of trade marketing for Seafood Scotland, said of the news: “A coveted Michelin Star puts a restaurant, and its chef team, firmly on the culinary map. This partnership (bringing Michelin to Scotland) will enhance our existing strategy of working directly with some of the best chefs in the land to highlight the wide array of world-class Scottish seafood species so often highlighted on a menu. Our research has revealed that Scottish scallops from Mull, Skye, and Orkney are the most utilised Scottish seafood species by Michelin Starred restaurants closely followed by our delicious langoustines.”
As for more stars for Scotland and Glasgow? I have some high hopes but if nothing else, this exciting event puts Scotland and its largest city firmly where it should be. On the plates and minds of some of the UK’s best chefs.
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