Marco Pierre White praises Box Tree restaurant

Waitrose Food Illustrated’s toughest food critic Marco Pierre White dished out uncharacteristic praise in the publication this week when he visited the Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley, Yorkshire. The rave review saw Marco award the Box Tree an impressive 19 out of 20, leaving the restaurant as Marco Pierre White’s highest recommendation since he began his monthly reviews in January this year.

Beating acclaimed London restaurants The Capital and The Brass Rail, Marco’s chatty repertoire comments on his nostalgia at returning to the place where his career began and his delight at the food that greeted him.

Prior to filming his recent stint as head chef on ITV’s Hells Kitchen, Marco named the Box Tree as his ‘favourite restaurant in Britain’, and on returning and tasting the food it seems as though his comments are well justified. Feasting on Michelin-starred Simon Gueller’s menu, Marco admits he was ‘blown away’ by the food, which included a celeriac soup, best end of lamb, and feuillantine of raspberries. He describes the meal as ‘heavenly’, ‘sophisticated’ and ‘one of the great, multidimensional dinners’ of his life.

Perhaps the most interesting revelation in the Waitrose Food Illustrated review is the warmth Marco Pierre White expresses towards every aspect of the Box Tree and his childhood. After making the bold statement ‘every mile you go out of London, you go back a culinary year’ he then redeems himself by noting the Box Tree as ‘different’, and goes on to anecdotes of Simon and himself as teenagers in Leeds.

The Waitrose Food Illustrated review shows a softer side to the chef who holds the reputation as the number one enfant terrible of the culinary world. His love of the Box Tree, and valued friendship with Simon are obviously of huge importance to him. If it weren’t for his reference to the hotel he was staying in excelling itself at ‘serving the world’s most disgusting breakfast’ some might think Marco Pierre White had become a bit of a soft touch.

The renowned Box Tree restaurant has been a key feature of Yorkshire living for the past 40 years. Taken over by husband and wife team Simon and Rena Gueller in 2004, the Box Tree boasts an unforgettable culinary experience and an increasing number of accolades. Simon Gueller is the only Yorkshire chef to have achieved Michelin star status at each of his three Yorkshire restaurants.

With an acclaimed Michelin star, 3 AA Rosettes and having been named country restaurant of the year in the 2007 Good Food Guide, the Box Tree restaurant continues to go from strength to strength.

For more information, visit Theboxtree.co.uk.