York restaurant relaunches with chef gunning for a Michelin star

A York restaurant has rebranded and relaunched as the chef goes all at to garner his first Michelin star.

Hudson’s By Craig Atchinson reopens on Tuesday (August 22) in a new, smaller room at the Grand Hotel & Spa.

The restaurant already has three AA rosettes. By reducing the covers from 60 to 28, moving to a tasting menu only and opening purely for dinner five nights a week, the idea is to focus even more on foodie excellence.

And that, head chef Craig hopes, will bring them more acclaim. He is hoping for a fourth AA rosette – and more besides.

“Because of the size of the restaurant and reduced service period we are aiming for Michelin, and they have shown some interest,” he told Big Hospitality.

Nine courses

The changes are part of the five-star hotel’s £15 million refurbishment.

Hudson’s will now offer a nine-course, locally-sourced tasting menu and wine flight designed for the culinary curious by Craig and Hudson’s restaurant manager Antonio De Angelis.

It will cost £70. Dishes include:

• Duke of York potato, lovage, shallot, and roasted chicken skin
• North Atlantic stone bass, langoustines, fennel, and buckwheat
• and aged beef striploin, ox tail barley, turnip, cep, and alliums.

Wild menu

“The menu features a few signature dishes with a focus on wild food – including my summer vegetable plate, a winner of the Fine Dining in Yorkshire category at this year’s Food Porn Awards,” Craig said.

“The nature of a tasting menu means that we will be able to ensure that every single dish is nothing but perfect, and our ethos goes beyond the food – we’ve worked with a local potter to create mini vases to house wildflowers and herbs sourced by our forager.

“It’ll be a very special experience for our guests.”

General manager of The Grand Hotel & Spa Philip Bolson said: “We’re delighted to see Hudson’s re-open.

“The Grand is Grade II listed so while the space hasn’t been dramatically overhauled, we’ve unveiled a few exquisite historic details that we love – and we think our visitors will too.”