A focus on outstanding Welsh produce, ambitious cooking and investment in a high-calibre kitchen team has propelled The Gunroom Restaurant at Plas Dinas Country House to Three AA Rosettes. The Bontnewydd restaurant, led by acclaimed Head Chef Daniel ap Geraint, received the prestigious accolade at the AA Hospitality Awards in Mayfair, London, placing it among a select group of restaurants recognised for culinary excellence on a national level.
For Plas Dinas, the award represents another major step in the development of The Gunroom as a destination restaurant, built around seasonal menus, Welsh ingredients and a dining experience designed to attract guests from across the UK. It also comes during the 70th anniversary year of the AA Rosette scheme and follows a period of significant recognition for the business, with Plas Dinas named Best Hotel in Wales in the Good Hotel Guide’s 2026 César Awards and AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year for Wales 2025.
Owner Annie Perks said: “We knew how much achieving Three Rosettes would mean to Daniel and the team, so finally receiving the news was a fantastic moment for everyone at Plas Dinas. “It’s not something you simply receive following one good inspection. At this level it goes to a panel and there is a lot of scrutiny involved, so we had an anxious wait before finding out. “Being able to go to London and see the team receive the award on stage, surrounded by many of the UK’s best chefs and hospitality professionals, made it even more special. “They’ve worked so hard for this and thoroughly deserve the recognition.”
The AA has awarded Rosettes since 1956 and describes restaurants achieving Three Rosettes as “outstanding”, with standards deserving recognition well beyond their local area.
The Gunroom’s food offering is rooted firmly in Wales, with Daniel and his brigade developing menus around the seasons and produce including Welsh lamb, locally landed seafood, Welsh butter and Anglesey sea salt. In its new Restaurant Guide, the AA highlighted the restaurant’s “modern British cooking underpinned by classic skills and technique”, as well as its intimate setting within Plas Dinas, the former home of Lord Snowdon.
Daniel, from Prestatyn, has headed the kitchen since 2018 and has steadily built The Gunroom’s culinary reputation. He is joined by a talented brigade including pastry specialist Cosmin Scarlet, Aled Jones and Kane Williams, alongside a wider front and back-of-house team including Dylan Thomas, Rupert Loom, Ferdinando Salvestrini and Liga Williamson. Kane brings considerable Michelin-level experience, having previously been Head Chef at The Barn at Moor Hall, where he led the team to its first MICHELIN star. His CV also includes The Hand and Flowers and The Ledbury, as well as time as Senior Sous Chef at Moor Hall alongside chef-patron Mark Birchall.
Daniel said: “Three Rosettes has been a goal of ours for some time, so we’re absolutely delighted. “There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t necessarily see. We are constantly looking at the menus, the produce we’re using and the whole experience we give people when they come through the door. “I have a brilliant team around me and that’s what makes this possible. Everyone has played their part and it’s something we can all be proud of. “We’ll definitely enjoy this one, but we’ll also keep working, developing and seeing how far we can take things.”
Daniel’s own profile has also risen significantly after representing Wales in the final of BBC Two’s Great British Menu in 2025, having won the Welsh heat before narrowly missing out on a place at the programme’s 20th anniversary banquet at Blenheim Palace.
Owner Daniel Perks believes the latest recognition demonstrates how the restaurant has evolved commercially as well as creatively, helping position Plas Dinas as a food-led hospitality destination. He said: “We’re incredibly proud of what Daniel and the team have achieved. “Three Rosettes is a big step and recognition of the standards they are producing day in, day out. “When you look at the recognition Plas Dinas and The Gunroom have received over the last couple of years, it’s incredibly rewarding for the whole team. “Daniel is always looking ahead and thinking about what can be improved, and that’s one of the reasons we’ve come so far. This is a brilliant moment for the restaurant and for everyone at Plas Dinas.”
The Gunroom is also listed in the MICHELIN Guide, while Plas Dinas retains AA Five-Star Gold status.
With Three AA Rosettes now secured, a highly experienced brigade in place and an increasingly prominent national profile, the team is focused on continuing to develop the food, service and overall guest experience – with ambitions for The Gunroom showing no sign of slowing.
