The Walnut Tree is a restaurant in Llanddewi Skirrid, Monmouthshire, Wales, run by chef

Shaun Hill Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...

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 ''Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares'' is a television programme featuring British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2004. In each episode, Ramsay visits a failing restaurant and acts as a troubleshooter to help improv ...

'' three years earlier. It regained its Michelin star in 2010 and continues to hold it.

History

The restaurant was 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 Mattiolis sought the guidance of

celebrity chef A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in printed publications. While television ...

Gordon Ramsay, appearing on the television series ''

'' in 2004. Ramsay criticised the overpricing at the restaurant and helped them to hire a new head chef. After a second appearance on the ''Kitchen Nightmares'' in 2005, Mattioli criticized the show as "fake". The Walnut Tree closed in 2007 after going into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...

due to "involuntary insolvency", and the Mattiolis blamed Ramsay's show for making the restaurant seem too expensive. The restaurant was reopened in early 2008 as a joint partnership between hotel-owner William Griffiths and new head chef

Reception

In 2008, it was named the BMW Square Meal Best UK Restaurant and the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales within 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. The restaurant regained its Michelin star in the 2010 guide, which it still holds .https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/monmouthshire/llanddewi-skirrid/restaurant/walnut-tree

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walnut Tree, The Restaurants in Wales Michelin Guide starred restaurants in the United Kingdom