Moor Hall's Mark Birchall and Northcote's Lisa Goodwin represent Lancashire on shortlist of AA Chef's Chef of year awards hosted by Gabby Logan

The annual Chefs’ Chef Award – considered the ultimate accolade for a British chef – will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday September 26 at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London. The ceremony will be and hosted by sports host Gabby Logan.

Selected by AA Rosette-awarded chefs, the Chefs’ Chef Award is a unique award recognising the best chef in the UK, as chosen by their peers. The award is sponsored by Caterer.com.

Chorley-born Mark Birchall is the chef at Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Aughton and Lisa Goodwin at Northcote in Langho.

Previous winners including Claude Bosi, Tom Kerridge, Raymond Blanc, Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and more, this year’s shortlist hails from across the UK, from Belfast to Padstow and from London to Windermere. The nominated chefs showcase a huge breadth of cuisines and styles, from sophisticated takes on every-day Italian to assertive modern cooking using locally sourced ingredients, to finely crafted and creative contemporary French cuisine.

Recognising the excellence of hotels, restaurants and their teams across the UK, the AA Hospitality Awards is one of the industry’s most prestigious and highly anticipated events. Spanning 15 categories, the Awards will name the best hotels, restaurants, and spas across the UK, and celebrate individuals with awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award, AA Housekeeper of the Year and more.

Gabby Logan said: “I am thrilled to be hosting the AA Hospitality Awards at the wonderful JW Marriott Grosvenor House this September. Back after a two-year hiatus, the AA Hospitality Awards are a key event for an industry that is all about physical places and people, and I am delighted that they are back with an in-person ceremony after the pandemic. I am really looking forward to celebrating the very best of the UK’s hospitality establishments and dedicated people in the industry, in a night to remember!”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said: “We are delighted to have Gabby Logan as our host for the AA Hospitality Awards this year – we are sure she will make our first in-person awards ceremony since 2019 even more special. We are also proud to reveal the AA Chefs’ Chef Award shortlist, an award that remains unique as it is voted by their peers. We are looking forward to crowning the Chefs’ Chef 2022 this September, as well as recognising the hard work and passion of many excellent establishments and teams working in the hospitality industry across the UK.”

The shortlist for the Chefs’ Chef Award 2022 is:

Angela Hartnett – Murano, London

Clare Smyth – Core by Clare Smyth, London

Gareth Ward – Ynyshir, Eglwys Fach

Galton Blackiston – Morston Hall, Holt

Michael Wignall – The Angel at Hetton

Hélène Darroze – Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, London

Michael Deane – Deames EIPIC, Belfast

Stephen McLaughlin – Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Auchterarder

Lisa Goodwin-Allen – Northcote, Langho

Paul Ainsworth – Paul Ainsworth at No 6, Padstow

Mark Birchall – Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Aughton

Hrishi Desai – Gilpin Hotel, Windermere