A BRAINTREE restaurant is celebrating after being named among the best eateries in Britain for the third year running.

The Chophouse, in New Street, is one of 2,000 restaurants to have made it into the AA Hospitality and Hotel Services guide for 2020.

The prestigious guide recognises the top eateries in Britain and is based on a one to five-star rosette rating.

Chophouse boss Rob Ely said he was delighted to see the restaurant make it a hat-trick of appearances in the guide.

He said: “It’s fantastic to be included in the guide again and I think it demonstrates the consistency of the restaurant.

“It’s testament to the high standards we set ourselves.

“I would say our success is down to a combination of things.

“All the food we serve is produced locally and prepped on site.

“A lot of places prepare food off-site these days which means it loses a bit of its magic.

“We have a big emphasis on customer service and I guess the restaurant itself is quite a cool and quirky place to come and eat.”

He added: “We’ve had a tough year in all honesty for different reasons such as staffing, but I would have been devastated if we hadn’t made it into the guide.

“This really gives us a platform now to push on and keep improving.

“We got a single rosette this year so we want to go for two next year.

“Exciting times are ahead because we’ve got a new head chef and senior sous chef coming to join us.

“They are two of the best in the county and will make us really strong. If anything it will make us the strongest we have ever been.”

Other restaurants in mid Essex which have made it into the AA Restaurant Guide 2020 include Ranfield’s Brasserie in Coggeshall, the White Hart in Great Yeldham and the Bull and Willow Room in Great Totham.

In total, 12 restaurants in north and mid Essex made it on to the list.

Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media, said: “We are pleased to see the hospitality industry going from strength to strength, with more than 140 new dining destinations being added to the Restaurant Guide 2020.

“The establishments in this year’s guide demonstrate the high quality of culinary experiences across the country, offering delicious food and impeccable service.”

The guide includes a detailed description of each destination, from opening details and capacity to whether the restaurant is child-friendly, alongside information on the latest chef changes and sample menu prices.

The Restaurant Guide 2020 is available for £16.99.