Michael Wignall is one of the UK’s most successful and respected chefs – he won two Michelin stars at The Latymer, then did the same again at Gidleigh Park, retaining the accolade after the departure of Michael Caines. When Michael and his wife Johanna decided to take over The Angel at Hetton it was always destined to be a match made in heaven. The Angel is regarded as the UK’s very first gastropub – the old inn has been a vital part of the local fabric since the fifteenth century.
Michael has been gradually refurbishing the old country pub since arriving in North Yorkshire, but it retains all its old bucolic charm. An open fire roars away in the dining room in the evenings, banishing any hint of bitter northern cold. The wood-panelled bar has been faithfully restored, matched with pristine new tables. The Angel is everything you want from a cosy old gastropub, and that’s before you even get to the food.
The Angel served more typical pub fare when Michael first arrived, but he has gradually implemented his own unique style over the course of a few months. Visit the restaurant now and you’ll find a gastropub at the very top of its game. The menu is, for the most part, made up of comforting modern British cooking – a game terrine of partridge, duck and pigeon with fermented king oyster and beurre noisette is a hearty start to any meal, and dishes like aged fillet of Yorkshire beef with forest mushroom, caramelised onion and parsley; turbot, charred leek, cep velouté and Madeira and Anjou squab with confit leg, offal, salt-baked celeriac and nasturtium. Everything is done with absolute precision, right down to the perfect geometric domes of purée and gleaming rochers of ice cream. There is still a hint of that outside-the-box gastronomy that makes Michael such a beloved chef: poached pear with buckwheat, salsify, a liquorice chocolate aero and an oxidised gel, for example, is something for more adventurous diners.
Few were surprised when The Angel was duly awarded a Michelin star in 2019, just months after Michael had taken over the kitchen. It is the latest of his many triumphs, and if history repeats itself, he may yet make The Angel at Hetton one of the most respected restaurants in the country once again.
The Angel at Hetton runs a number of menus – not just the à la carte but also a tasting menu, vegetarian tasting menu and Sunday lunch menu.
Michael is constantly adding to The Angel, improving the kitchen and dining rooms with plans to open 'Cove' – a fine dining restaurant within the pub – soon.
The Angel at Hetton can be booked out for weddings – the Yorkshire Dales provide the perfect backdrop for a ceremony.
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