Watch: Restaurant near Bridgnorth celebrates after its fine dining menu is recognised by the AA
A pub and restaurant that spent four years closed before reopening last year, has become the first hospitality venue in its area to be acknowledged by the AA for its food.
The Acton at Morville, near Bridgnorth, closed in 2018 and was branded an eyesore.
But last year, the pub reopened under new management and was fully refurbished.
Now the Acton has become the only restaurant in the Bridgnorth area to be awarded two AA Rosette's for its food after a visit by inspectors.
General manager at the Acton at Morville, Marcio Reis, said the acknowledgement followed a change in the menu at the restaurant from pub grub to fine dining.
He said: “When the pub reopened we were doing just fish and chips but that wasn't working for us, so myself and the head chef decided to change the concept.”
Along with the regular favourites of burgers and chips and pizza, the Acton now has a frequently changing À la carte menu featuring exclusive dishes such as monkfish crudo, pig's cheek and black marsh lamb - and the change has caught the attention of the AA.
The motoring and travel organisation said it awards two Rosettes to only the best local restaurants that achieve high standards, consistence, precision in cooking and a quality of ingredients.
The Acton is the only pub in the Bridgnorth area to have been granted two Rosettes, and Marcio and his ten staff members could not be happier.
“We are really pleased. We targeted more of a niche with our dining menu so to be acknowledged like this is a real achievement," he said.
A spokesperson for the AA said fewer than 10 per cent of restaurants in the UK reach the standard of one Rosette.
The spokesperson added: “Our awards are made solely on the basis of a meal visit or visits by one or more of our hotel and restaurant inspectors, who have an unrivalled breadth and depth of experience in assessing quality.
“Essentially, it's a snapshot whereby the entire meal, including ancillary items are assessed. Of all the restaurants across the UK, approximately 10 per cent are of a standard worthy of 1 Rosette and above.”
To celebrate their success the Acton is hosting a fine dining tasting event on October 31.
More details available at: theactonatmorville.com
To see a list of all AA recommended restaurants, visit: ratedtrips.com/aa-rosette-restaurants/aa-rosette-restaurant-locations
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