ONE of the region’s most luxurious boutique hotels has been awarded another honour.

The Wensleydale Heifer, in West Witton, near Leyburn, has been awarded a prestigious second AA Rosette. The honour comes just weeks after the hotel was named in the Top Ten of Fine Dining Restaurants in the UK by TripAdvisor, joining big names with multiple Michelin stars such as The Fat Duck and L’Enclume.

The Wensleydale Heifer, owned and run by father and son team Lewis and David Moss, was also awarded Silver in the White Rose Awards for Best Small Hotel in Yorkshire.

David Moss said: “This has been quite the year for many reasons. We’re so delighted to have received our second AA Rosette.

"It's a real marker of quality and we couldn't be more thrilled to have achieved this great honour.

“Achieving the two Rosettes is absolute testament to the commitment from each and every one of our fantastic team here at the Heifer.

"Creating the perfect visit for our lovely guests is the focus of the whole team – from everyone working in the kitchen team led by our head chef Craig and sous chef Graeme, right through to the reception, housekeeping and front of house teams – they all contribute to creating the very best experience we possibly can for our guests.

He added: “For this award to come so close to being named in the TripAdvior Top Ten in their Traveller's Choice Best of the Best Awards for fine dining is just amazing.

"It’s been a challenging year due to Covid-19, so to have achieved these fantastic things is a reflection on just how hard the Wensleydale Heifer team has worked.

Mr Moss added: "We’d also like to thank all of our lovely guests for their unwavering support.

"We couldn’t do any of it without them."

The long-established Rosette scheme celebrates successful cooking at different levels across the UK and achieving Rosettes is based on one or more visits by an AA inspector. Only about 10 per cent of restaurants across the country are of a standard that is worthy of one Rosette and above.

Two Rosettes are awarded, the AA says, to "excellent restaurants that aim for and achieve higher standards and better consistency. A greater precision is apparent in the cooking, and there will be obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients". This achievement joins the five-star rating the Wensleydale Heifer holds from the AA, alongside the AA Breakfast Award and AA "Inspectors Choice” Award.

The Wensleydale Heifer is a luxury boutique hotel with its own restaurant and 13 themed bedrooms including Champagne, James Bond, Chocolate Heaven and Night at the Movies.