Well, these two know they’re not getting a star next week...

With Michelin’s annual industry-wank-each-other-offathon and announcement of this year’s starred restaurants looming (Tuesday 2 October folks, put it in your diaries!) the restaurant guide has this afternoon announced 2018’s new recipients of the Bib Gourmand in an glamorous ceremony on, er, Twitter.

Sheffield’s ultra-modern, new-nordic fine-diner Joro and York’s globe-trotting small plates restaurant Skosh have been given the nod this afternoon. Skosh was in its infancy when last year’s guide was released, launching in June 2016, and this is the first guide that’s come out since Joro launched at the end of 2016, graduating from pop-ups and supper clubs to its own post-modern venue inside an old shipping container.

170227 Joro Review Pork Belly 170622 Skosh Review Hake

Awarded for cooking and affordability, Michelin define Bib Gourmand-worthy restaurants as demonstrating “simple yet skilful cooking and great prices.” - usually sub-£30 for three courses - however critics suggest that the award is consolation prize, and the guide are too reluctant to give their coveted stars to restaurants that don’t fit in with the traditional fine-dining image.

READ: "About as close to perfect as it gets" - Skosh reviewed

Either way, the news just confirms what we already said in our reviews of Joro and Skosh - Bib, Star, or no award at all, these are brilliant restaurants well worth racking up some rail-miles for.

Speaking of which, Rudding Park Hotel’s Horto restaurant was absent from the Bib Announcements, could this be a good omen for next week’s star announcements? Who knows...

READ: "Near-psychedelic serendipity" - Joro reviewed