UK village with more Michelin stars per person than Tokyo

At first glance, Aughton may seem to be a typical village. Nestled on the border of Lancashire and Merseyside, this charming location is adorned with tree-lined streets, grandiose homes and sweeping countryside – an idyllic setting for tranquil Sunday strolls far from city clatter.

Not only does it feature a university and a renowned bi-weekly market, but Aughton also became the chosen backdrop for Chorley-born chef Mark Birchall’s distinguished Moor Hall restaurant. In 2017, mere months after its doors opened, Moor Hall won its inaugural Michelin star, with another following in 2018.

A more casual separate establishment, The Barn at Moor Hall, was also awarded a star the same year and in 2023 the area’s prestige was further boosted with a fourth star awarded to So-Lo on Town Green Lane. And just this week the village welcomed an unprecedented fifth Michelin Star, with Moor Hall being handed the accolade for the third time.

This is a staggering feat considering the village’s size, and equates to around one star for every 1,600 residents, surpassing even Tokyo, which boasts of having more of the culinary accolades than any other city on the planet.

Though this might astonish many, Mark Birchall himself remains unwavering in his conviction of Aughton’s unique allure. Speaking to LancsLive, he said he’d long had a deep-rooted desire to launch a restaurant amidst the bountiful resources of his native county.

“Obviously being from Lancashire, I always wanted to open a restaurant here,” he said. “We’re surrounded by amazing producers, farmers, growers. If there’s anything we can’t grow, we’ll start on the doorstep and work our way out.”

Mark looked close to tears as he was announced as the only new recipient of the Three Star honour – considered the absolute pinnacle of gastronomic achievement – at the glittering Michelin Guide Awards Ceremony on Monday night.

Asked how he felt at receiving the Three Stars, he couldn’t hold back his emotion, blurting out: “F***ing hell!”

“I think you kind of dream about these things,” he said. “You kind of almost act it out in your mind of how you will be, but the emotion is incredible.

“We got our first star in 2017 and that feeling is incredible, but this is one of the best feelings ever, this really has destroyed it. Mega, amazing.”

And he was clear on the secret of his success. Mark said: “A good team. The core team have been with me from the start, I’ve got a great core. We look after our guests, really try to make them feel special and focus around that and the quality of the food. We’ve got amazing surroundings. The support of my business partners, this is eight years and it’s incredible.”

Michelin inspectors summed up the achievements of Mark after the event. They wrote: “At Moor Hall, chef Mark Birchall and his team have continued to hone their craft and have now achieved new levels of excellence. The ingredients, many from the kitchen garden, are outstanding; the chefs’ culinary technique is hugely impressive; and the judgement of flavours, of when to prioritise simplicity and when to add complexity, is exemplary.

“The inspectors particularly enjoyed the classically based turbot cooked in brown butter, with seasonal kuri squash and Mylor prawns.”

Tucked away within a thirteenth-century Grade-II* listed building, Moor Hall epitomises the fusion of historical splendour and contemporary culinary innovation.

Since Andy and Tracey Bell took the helm in 2015, the establishment has seen a transformation through a lavish multi-million-pound makeover. Now, with nearly eight years under his toque at Moor Hall, Mark embraces a farm-to-fork ethos that champions regional producers, celebrating the likes of Croftpak Nurseries’ tomatoes and local strawberry cultivators, not to forget the lauded Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese.

Mark, whose resume also boasts the role of head chef role at the three-starred L’Enclume in Cumbria, gushed over the quality of local produce.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. “I mean, Kirkham’s is world class, it’s unbelievable. We’re really, really fortunate, we’re on the edge of the Lake District which has fantastic meat. There’s brilliant beef and lamb up there.”

Moor Hall’s commitment to exceptional and sometimes unexpected produce extends further. Local grower Molyneux of nearby Ormskirk cultivates kale, somewhat of an anomaly for Lancashire yet prized internationally, and all just a stone’s throw from the restaurant. Now with three Michelin stars gracing its name, Moor Hall isn’t just a meal, it’s an illustrious dining affair where the innate qualities of the finest ingredients are allowed to take centre stage.

“It’s all about using the best ingredients or products that we can buy and turn it into something special,” he said. “And making those products shine.”

The West Lancashire location of the restaurant doesn’t just offer top-tier ingredients; its proximity to Manchester and Liverpool, along with the charms of the coast, contributes to what Mark describes as “incredible” for both diners and local growers alike.

Mark esays: “The surrounding ancient agricultural landscape of West Lancashire we call home offers some of the most picturesque scenery in the country.

“When I set out on my Moor Hall journey with business partners Andy and Tracey Bell, we shared a vision to bring together the very best surroundings with an unrivalled dining experience. I truly believe that in the short space of time since we opened our doors, we have delivered just that.

“The stars, rosettes and accolades are indeed incredible achievements, and I will always strive to make things better. This said, it is the comfort and enjoyment of our guests that is the ultimate focus of everything we do here. It’s about making people want to come back. We want them to feel like they don’t want to leave, and they do so already planning their return visit.”

The new addition to the elite three-star group brings the total number of restaurants delivering “exceptional cuisine” to 10 across the UK. Moor Hall joins the likes of L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria and Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurant.

The UK’s three-Michelin-star restaurants

• Moor Hall, Aughton, Lancashire
• Core by Clare Smyth, London
• The Ledbury, London
• Sketch, London
• Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire
• Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire
• Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
• Helene Darroze at The Connaught, London
• Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London
• L’Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria