Head chef Shaun Hill City Llanddewi Skirrid | Food type British cuisine County Monmouthshire | |
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Previous owner(s) Franco Taruschio
Francesco and Enrica Mattioli Rating | ||
The Walnut Tree is a restaurant in Llanddewi Skirrid, Monmouthshire, Wales, run by chef Shaun Hill and holds a Michelin star. It was previously owned by Franco Taruschio for more than 30 years, and had previously held a star when Stephen Terry was head chef there. It closed briefly in 2007, which the owners blamed on an appearance on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares three years earlier.
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History
The restaurant was first opened by Franco Taruschio in the 1960s, who owned The Walnut Tree for more than 30 years. It was purchased by Francesco and Enrica Mattioli in 2001. Under the management of head chef Stephen Terry, it won a Michelin star in 2002, but lost it in 2004 after Terry's departure. He moved to rival Abergavenny restaurant The Hardwick.
The Walnut Tree began to have financial troubles, and so the Mattioli's sought the guidance of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, appearing on the television series Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in 2004. Ramsay criticised the overpricing at the restaurant, suggesting that the prices were even higher than would be accepted in London. The Walnut Tree closed in 2007, with the Mattioli's blaming the series for putting them out of business. It was subsequently reopened under chef Shaun Hill.
Reception
In 2008, it was named the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales some nine months after reopening under Hill. A year later, The Walnut Tree was named the best restaurant in the UK by the Gourmet Britain food guide, who suggested that Hill could win a Michelin star with the restaurant. It regained the star in the 2010 guide, which it holds presently.