A York kitchen genius has been awarded his first Michelin star.
Josh Overington was tonight (Monday) given a Michelin star for Mýse, the restaurant he opened in the Ryedale village of Hovingham just seven months ago.
York native Josh made his name with the restaurant he ran with his wife Victoria on Walmgate, Le Cochon Aveugle.
That garnered brilliant national reviews and was named among the UK’s top 100 restaurants. But after eight years, in November 2022, they closed it and moved on.
Restaurant with rooms Mýse, on Main Street, Hovingham, opened in June 2023.
Mýse – pronounced ‘meez’ – gets its name from an Anglo-Saxon word for ‘eating at the table’, and boasts a menu featuring Josh’s elegant spin on traditional Yorkshire cooking.
Tonight the Michelin Guide gave out its stars for 2024. And in giving one to Mýse, it said: “Going straight into the Guide with a Star, it is one of the best openings of the year and the attached bedrooms make it a real destination restaurant.”
The guide entry for the restaurant now reads: “In a pretty little village on the edge of the North York Moors lies this former pub with stripped-back décor – expect flagstone floors, whitewashed beams and exposed stone walls.
“The tasting menu features prime produce enhanced by a range of techniques, both traditional and modern, as with the subtle, well-judged use of pickling and preserving.
“A top wine list and non-alcoholic pairings ensure the food isn’t the only highlight, while cosy, simply decorated bedrooms complete the picture.”
Josh discovered his passion for cooking after leaving York for a gap year and working in a restaurant in Sydney, Australia.
When he returned to the UK he worked in some of the biggest names in cuisine, including The Pipe and Glass Inn in East Yorkshire and the Roux brothers’ legendary Waterside Inn in Bray – before moving to Paris to train as a chef.
He came back to York with Victoria and worked as a sous chef in Michael O’Hare’s Blind Swine. When Michael left, he took over and translated its name into French – Le Cochon Aveugle.
They were only 26 when it opened and had total savings of £800. But their blind tasting menu was soon winning rave reviews, and they went on to open a sister wine bar Cave du Cochon a few doors down the road.
Then they decided to create Mýse. It was recently named as Number 5 in the UK Top 100 by Square Meal – and has now achieved Michelin stardom.