We’re pleased to share this news from BBT member The Walnut Tree, part of the House of Caradog family of hospitality businesses in and around Abergavenny. The award recognises the skill, consistency and hard work behind one of the area’s best-known restaurants.

The Walnut Tree named AA Restaurant of the Year 2026

Abergavenny restaurant recognised for its enduring commitment to great food, consistency and hospitality

The Walnut Tree in Abergavenny has been named Restaurant of the Year 2026 at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards, recognising the restaurant’s continued commitment to exceptional food, excellent produce and consistently high standards.

The award is a major accolade for a restaurant that has been part of the Welsh dining landscape for more than 60 years. First opened in 1963, The Walnut Tree quickly established a reputation for exceptional food and hospitality and became a favourite with both local diners and visitors to the area.

Today, The Walnut Tree kitchen is led by Head Chef Paul Brown whilst Shaun Hill, acclaimed ‘Chef’s Chef’, has been at the helm since the restaurant reopened in 2007 as a joint venture with William Griffiths of the House of Caradog. Shaun’s ingredient-led, unfussy approach to cooking has helped cement the restaurant’s position as one of the UK’s most respected restaurants.

The latest AA award also has a particular resonance for Shaun. In 2008, his first year at the helm, The Walnut Tree was named AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales, praised at the time for its “straightforward food and reasonable prices”.

Eighteen years later, that philosophy remains firmly at the heart of the restaurant: exceptional ingredients, skilfully cooked, without unnecessary fuss. The Walnut Tree has also held a Michelin star since 2010.

For Shaun and his small team, the new award is recognition of the hard work that goes into maintaining those standards. Shaun Hill said: “The award gives justification for all the hard work and attention to standards. We are a small team that work long hours to deliver consistency, so it gives a boost to morale for this to be acknowledged.”

The recognition comes after a particularly challenging period for the hospitality industry. The Walnut Tree has worked through the difficulties of COVID and, more recently, rapidly rising costs and inflation, while continuing to maintain its standards and develop new dishes that play to the restaurant’s strengths. Rather than fundamentally changing its approach, the team has continued to concentrate on what The Walnut Tree does best.

“There are lots of good restaurants in Wales, we just do our best,” said Shaun. “We have an excellent base of dedicated, long-standing customers who we continually see supporting us and we couldn't be more grateful to them. Loyalty is the backbone of survival through difficult times.” That loyalty is an important part of The Walnut Tree’s story. While the restaurant continues to attract diners from near and far, it remains firmly rooted in Abergavenny and the surrounding area.

The Walnut Tree is part of the House of Caradog, a family of hospitality businesses based in and around Abergavenny. The wider operation includes two cottages alongside the restaurant, complimentary taxis between The Walnut Tree and The Angel Hotel, and an extensive cut-flower garden which supplies seasonal flowers to the restaurant and other House of Caradog businesses. The restaurant also houses regularly changing ‘Gallery in a Restaurant’ exhibitions, curated by The Art Shop, which have featured work by distinguished British artists including George Rowlett, John Macfarlane and William Brown.

More than six decades after it first opened, The Walnut Tree continues to combine distinctive cooking with warm, relaxed hospitality and a commitment to excellent produce. For the small team behind the restaurant, the AA Restaurant of the Year award is an opportunity to celebrate that work — and to thank the customers whose loyalty has helped The Walnut Tree continue through changing times.