THE acclaimed Walnut Tree restaurant has won its place among the best in the UK once again at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards.

Situated in Llanddewi Skirrid in the stunning Monmouthshire countryside, it has been awarded Welsh Restaurant of the Year 2026 in a ceremony that holds a special place in executive chef Shaun Hill’s heart.

In 2008, his first year at the helm, The Walnut Tree won the same AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales honour, and was praised for its “straightforward food and reasonable prices”.

Almost two decades since then, The Walnut Tree has gone on to gain a Michelin star and blend skilfully cooked exceptional ingredients with its signature and comforting approach.

“There are lots of good restaurants in Wales, we just do our best,” said Shaun.

“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.

“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.”

It remains firmly rooted in the local area, owned by a family of hospitality businesses based in and around Abergavenny, under the House of Caradog name.

Previously owned by Franco Taruschio for 38 years, it also previously held a star when Gordon Ramsey’s best man Stephen Terry was head chef there.

A regular on TV, including a recent appearance on James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Terry later went on to run the award-winning Hardwick at the former Horse & Jockey pub, which closed in 2023, and has just been appointed head chef at the Sant Ffraed wedding venue off the same road near Raglan.