[citation needed] It won a Michelin star in 2001 under Martin Hadden, who left shortly afterwards to set up his own restaurant called The Priory House.

[1][6][7] The restaurant was used as a location in the 2009 series of the BBC Two show Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, where chefs Nick Nairn and Aldo Zilli competed against each other using local ingredients.

Former head chef Martin Hadden was the winner of the scholarship in 1989, prior to coming to Ockenden Manor.

[9] Matthew Tomkinson won the scholarship in 2005 whilst working at the restaurant,[10][11] and Vincent Fayat in 2006 and Mark Charker in 2012 reached the regional finals of the competition.

[15] The restaurant has been awarded three AA Rosettes, meaning that "expectations of the kitchen are high: exact technique, flair and imagination must come through in every dish, and balance and depth of flavour are all-important".