Tonight, Monday 09 February, Killiecrankie House in Perthshire celebrated a landmark moment as husband-and-wife team Tom and Matilda Tsappis were presented with their first Michelin Star, securing the restaurant’s place among the most respected dining destinations in the UK and Ireland.
The announcement was made at the Michelin Guide Ceremony, held at the Convention Centre Dublin, where chefs and hospitality professionals from across the UK and Ireland gathered to celebrate this year’s Michelin Stars, Michelin Green Stars and a range of Special Awards, including the Service Award, Sommelier Award, Exceptional Cocktails Award, Opening of the Year and Young Chef Award.
During the ceremony, a total of 20 new Michelin One-Star awards were announced, alongside 7 new Michelin Green Stars, 2 new Two-Star awards, and all 10 Three-Star restaurants retained their awards. A further 37 Bib Gourmand restaurants were revealed online in the week leading up to the Dublin event.
Scotland is now home to 15 Michelin-Starred restaurants, while across the UK and Ireland, a total of 230 restaurants currently hold at least one Michelin Star.
Originally from a background in finance, Tom’s path into gastronomy began during an extended stay in Japan at the age of 23. Necessity led him to cook dishes that reminded him of home, sparking a deep curiosity for food and technique. It was also in Japan that he met his half-Japanese wife, Matilda, co-owner and Head Sommelier of Killiecrankie House.
After returning to the UK, Tom enrolled at Leiths Culinary School, staging at Aquavit* and Michael O’Hare’s The Man Behind the Curtain. Alongside Matilda, he launched Elia, a Greek fine-dining supper club that paid homage to his Greek Cypriot heritage. Hosted from their East Dulwich flat, the weekend-only supper club revolved around a 12-course tasting menu and quickly amassed a cult following before coming to an end during the pandemic.
Motivated by a desire to pursue hospitality full-time, Tom and Matilda embarked on a road trip across Scotland, which ultimately led them to Killiecrankie House.
This prestigious accolade from the world’s leading food guide is a powerful endorsement of the vision, dedication and craftsmanship of Tom and Matilda Tsappis and their entire team, following the opening of Killiecrankie House in 2021.
Since then, the couple have transformed the historic former 19th-century manse into one of Scotland’s most distinctive restaurant-with-rooms destinations. Following a comprehensive renovation, Killiecrankie House now offers five elegant guest bedrooms, a relaxed lounge with a curated cookbook library overlooking the kitchen garden, an intimate Art Deco-style cocktail bar seating up to eight guests, and a twelve-cover fine-dining restaurant with an additional chef’s table. Diners can experience Tom’s ambitious 15–20 course dinner tasting menu or a shorter nine-course lunchtime offering.
Killiecrankie House highlights the story of its surroundings while showcasing the finest Scottish produce in innovative ways. Drawing on Asian techniques, particularly Japanese, the kitchen presents Scotland’s ingredients in a fresh and distinctive style. Dishes reinterpret modern Scottish cuisine, including miso from green peas and oats, kimchi made with foraged wild garlic, and a Japanese-inspired tofu dish crafted from locally foraged mushrooms and Scottish oats, accompanied by a spicy Asian sauce made using ingredients from Killiecrankie’s kitchen garden.
The Michelin Guide remarks: ‘’This attractive whitewashed former manse in the Cairngorms National Park has been transformed into a true dining destination with a personality of its own.’’
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Further adding: ‘’A surprise tasting menu fuses Scottish produce, including some Japanese techniques, enhancing the ingredients to brilliant effect. The house-made oat tofu is a prime example, served with a lip-smacking fermented cream sauce with broad beans and chilli.’’
Tom and Matilda Tsappis said: “Being awarded a Michelin Star is completely overwhelming and something we truly didn’t expect this year. Since entering The Michelin Guide in 2022, we’ve simply focused on doing the very best we can, taking our time and staying true to our values. This recognition means more to us than we can put into words, particularly given the challenges faced by the industry in recent years. We’re incredibly proud of our team; this achievement belongs to every single person who has supported us and believed in what we’re building here. Killiecrankie House is deeply rooted in its surroundings and our sense of belonging to this place, and to see that recognised at this level is an unforgettable moment for us.”
