The Black Swan Oldstead named AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year

Set on Tommy Banks family’s 160-acre farm in North Yorkshire, Michelin-starred The Black Swan Oldstead has spent the last 20 years building its menus around what can be grown, foraged, reared and preserved close to home.

Now, that approach has won them the very first AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year 2026–27.

Announced at last night’s AA Hospitality Awards in London, The Black Swan is the first restaurant to receive the new award, which recognises venues putting sustainability at the heart of their operations, from sourcing and food miles to waste and responsible supply chains.

The timing feels rather fitting, with the restaurant celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Its two-acre kitchen garden supplies the kitchen, while ingredients are foraged locally and livestock is reared just metres from the restaurant.

In 2025, The Black Swan removed fish and seafood entirely from its tasting menu, allowing Head Chef Alice Power and Executive Chef Callum Leslie to focus even more closely on the ingredients available around Oldstead.

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Preservation plays a big part, too. A dedicated foraging and preservation team works alongside the farm and kitchen to ferment, pickle and preserve ingredients at their peak, giving the team a way to use the landscape throughout the year while making the most of each harvest.

The hyper-local philosophy even stretches to ingredients you might not expect. Lemons and soy sauce don’t make the cut; instead, the team creates its own acids and seasonings using ingredients such as gooseberries, rhubarb and wood sorrel.

Chef Director Tommy Banks said: “For us, it isn’t a standalone initiative; it’s an approach that has developed over 20 years of working with the land and learning how to make the most of what it gives us.

“To receive this prestigious award in our 20th anniversary year feels especially meaningful and is a real testament to the care, creativity and hard work of the entire team.”

The Black Swan also retained its 4 AA Rosettes at the ceremony, adding to its impressive collection of accolades, including one Michelin Star, held for 14 consecutive years.

Fancy a visit to taste their provenance for yourself? Visit The Black Swan at Oldstead here.