Michelin chefs would 'rather work than watch TV'

Jacob Pain says you have to have a "desire" for food to work in a Michelin restaurant

Chefs working at a Michelin-starred restaurant say "passion and resilience" are what is required to achieve the highest award.

Bulrush in Cotham, Bristol, has retained its star for a seventh year and joins eight other restaurants in the West named in this year's prestigious guide.

"When it's a job that you love, I'd rather be here cooking than sat at home watching TV," said sous chef Jacob Pain, 30.

Staff at the fine dining restaurant said they could be working 15-hour days but "seeing people leave happy makes it worth it," Mr Pain added.

Ben Willcocks is working on the pastry section

Chef de Partie Ben Willcocks, 28, from Bristol, has worked at the restaurant for six months after he fell into cooking by chance.

"I was travelling in Canada and couldn't get a bar job, so started washing up and showed an interest, and they let me start cooking," he told the BBC.

"I came back to Bristol in 2020 for lockdown, and started working here in September.

"It's full-on, it's totally new skills that I never sort of imagined.

"It's another level basically, pushing things further, flavour combinations, different ways of approaching things."

A Michelin star means food must be "exceptional and consistent"

Restaurant manager Laura Trego, 27, from Taunton, Somerset, has worked in hospitality for the last 10 years.

"I just love chatting to people, getting to know them, and being a part of special celebrations," she said.

"Just making people's lives a little bit better, seeing smiles on faces, [it's] a real pleasure to be a part of."

Mr Pain worked in a care home kitchen before he got a job at Bulrush.

"Seeing people leave happy, knowing that people are willing to come to a restaurant like this with those expectations, have a meal and then leave incredibly happy is really fulfilling."

Laura Trego said she loves making people smile

Being in the Michelin Guide means a restaurant has been assessed by Michelin inspectors and meets their standards for quality and consistency.

"Michelin are quite incognito," Ms Trego added.

"We can sometimes have an inkling that they might be here but we've got things that we can look out for, people on their own or people taking notes."

Other restaurants included in this year's guide are Restaurant Hywel Jones By Lucknam Park in Colerne, Osip in Bruton, The Olive Tree in Bath, and The Dining Room in Malmesbury.

At The Manor House in Castle Combe and Bybrook in Castle Combe have also retained their stars, as well as Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham and Lumiere in Cheltenham.

Wilsons, in Bristol, has been awarded a Michelin star this year for the first time.