TERRA Restaurant Sussex, launched just one year ago by the team behind Tottington Manor Hotel, has received its first AA Rosette following a recent visit from a nationally recognised AA Inspector.
Director Helen Pomery said: “This recognition is the result of four years of really pushing our team to be the best they can be, and receiving this long-awaited accolade is the biggest reward for them.
“Ultimately, our guest feedback drives us forward every day and helps push us even further in our mission to receive our next Rosette. Our journey has only just begun.”
Chris Hilton, executive head chef at TERRA, added: “I’m over the moon and so proud to have been part of the journey that Tottington Manor and TERRA Restaurant has been on so far and I continue to be very excited about what the future holds – there is more to come.”
The news came just a week before the call from Restaurants Brighton, who spearhead the BRAVO Awards, the highly regarded hospitality equivalent of the Oscars.
TERRA won its first BRAVO Award for ‘Most Sustainable Restaurant’ – a huge honour considering sustainable hospitality has been the restaurant’s primary focus from day one.
With rising fuel costs, it became a priority for the restaurant to eliminate fossil fuels, dramatically reduce waste and choose Sussex ingredients for 90% of the food menu and 25% of the Drinks & Wine List. Not only is this an active effort to support the local economy, but it also simply “feels like the right thing to do”, the team say.
Last year was the first time TERRA was nominated for a BRAVO and it was placed at 15th place for ‘Best Sussex Restaurant’. Overall, it was nominated in five categories; ‘Best Sussex Restaurant’, ‘Best Team’, ‘Best Wine List’, ‘Best Sunday Roast’ and ‘Most Sustainable’.
Across all categories, it achieved Top 10 for four and Top 20 for all five nominations out of the thousands nominated.
