Chef 'couldn't be prouder' as restaurant featured in Michelin Guide

The chef-owner of a new Liverpool restaurant has said his team "couldn't be prouder" after their work was recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide. Dan McGeorge, who won Great British Menu in 2021, opened 26-seat fine-dining restaurant Vetch on Hope Street back in spring.

Since then, it has gone on to earn significant praise for its relaxed seasonally-inspired menus and modern British cooking interspersed with Nordic and Asian flavour influences. In September, the restaurant gained national recognition as it was awarded two AA Rosettes.

Now, the team at Vetch has earned a first listing in the internationally recognised Michelin Guide. The first UK edition of the Michelin Guide was published in 1974 and 50 years later, Michelin Stars remain highly sought after by the UK’s leading restaurants.

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The Michelin Guide started in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in 1889, when brothers Édouard and André Michelin founded their tyre company aiming to transform the French car industry. By 1900 they started to give away complimentary guides filled with practical information for travellers, including maps, details on road quality, information on how to change a tyre, where to find a garage or fill up with petrol, and recommendations of where to eat and stay for the night – all cleverly designed to encourage drivers to explore more and hopefully use more tyres in the process!

By the 1920s the Guide had become highly respected and, in response, the brothers employed mystery diners to assess the places being recommended within its pages, who began awarding single-star designations from 1926 onwards to highlight the top eateries to visit. A star hierarchy was introduced in 1931, quickly followed by descriptions of the Star rankings, which remain the same to this day. A restaurant can earn up to three Michelin stars.

Across the UK there are currently only 1148 restaurants featured in the guide; 824 with a listing - including Vetch, 123 restaurants with a Bib Gourmand, 165 holding one star, 27 with two stars and nine with three Michelin stars.

The Michelin Guide reporting on Vetch remarks: ‘’Located on Hope Street alongside numerous other eateries, there’s a homely feel to this personably and knowledgeably run restaurant. The décor is all about understatement, with minimalist furnishings and neutral tones.

"The modern, well-versed cooking successfully incorporates a range of East Asian influences including shokupan milk bread, Korean chicken wings and char siu pork belly. At dinner, it’s a tasting menu affair which shows the full breadth of cooking, but keep an eye out for the great value offering at lunch and early evening.’’

Dan McGeorge said: ‘’Being included in the Michelin Guide is amazing news, as a team we’ve just tried to do our best to bring the restaurant to life since we opened the doors in May. We couldn’t be prouder; this is a real team effort.

"We’ve taken our time and hopefully, the work we’ve put in has helped build a solid foundation for the future. Achieving this recognition reflects the hard work, dedication, and passion of every single one of us, but we won’t rest on our laurels, and we’ll keep striving to improve to deliver menus for our guests to enjoy.’’