Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Michelin Red Guide for Great Britain and Ireland is an annual publication of top restaurants.
It recommends a large and diverse selection of hotels, guest houses, restaurants and pubs in all price categories and across every region.
And for the first time, Scunthorpe’s San Pietro restaurant has been selected by culinary judges to appear in the 2011 guide, which hit the bookshop shelves yesterday.
Proud restaurant owners Pietro and Michelle Catalano are more than delighted with the entry, which gives the restaurant a three out of five rating in the recommendation section, and hope it’s a sign of good things to come.
Michelle said: “We are absolutely elated. We are listed among some of the top restaurants in the country, so it’s a massive accolade. It’s gone really well for us to get our first mention – it’s a big achievement.
“Our head chef Chris Grift, his hard work and dedication is the reason why our food is such a high standard at the restaurant.
“It shows San Pietro is on its way up. It’s good news, what with having the fire at the end of 2010, last year was a terrible one, so we are certain this year will be more positive and bright.”
As reported, the restaurant had to install a temporary kitchen to keep business up and running after a fire broke out in the restaurant’s laundry room in November.
The restaurant is winner of North Lincolnshire’s Restaurant of the Year 2010 and European Restaurant of the year 2010.
Michelle said: “The Michelin Guide works on various levels – we’re listed as a three out of five in the recommendations. It comes down to quality of food, service and dining ambience. Just to get in the guide is a good commendation in itself.”
As part of the judging process, a secret dining inspection was made and the restaurant had to submit a variety of information including its wine lists and chefs’ CVs to give the judges ample background information on the bistro – meaning a nail-biting wait for the owners to celebrate this success.
Speaking about the 2011 guide, editor in chief Rebecca Burr said: “There is no doubt that 2010 was a difficult year but those hotels and restaurants that represented value for money, at whatever price, were the ones who were best placed to weather the storm.”
The Michelin guide Great Britain and Ireland is £15.99.
