Killiecrankie House in Perthshire has picked up its first Michelin Star, a major moment for owners Tom and Matilda Tsappis and their team.
The award was announced at the Michelin Guide Ceremony in Dublin, where this year’s stars for the UK and Ireland were revealed. Scotland now has 15 Michelin-starred restaurants.
Killiecrankie House opened in 2021 after the couple took on the former 19th-century manse and set about turning it into a small, food-led business with rooms. The property now has five bedrooms, a cocktail bar, a lounge overlooking the kitchen garden and a 12-cover restaurant, and chef’s table. Menus are tasting-led, with a longer dinner option and a shorter lunch.
Michelin described the property as ‘a true dining destination with a personality of its own’, highlighting a tasting menu that combines Scottish produce with Japanese techniques. The guide singled out the house-made oat tofu, served with fermented cream, broad beans and chilli.
Originally from a background in finance, Tom Tsappis’ route into professional cooking began during an extended stay in Japan at the age of 23, where he began cooking for himself and developed an interest in food and technique. It was also in Japan that he met his wife, Matilda, who is half-Japanese and now co-owner and head sommelier at Killiecrankie House.
After returning to the UK, Tom trained at Leiths Culinary School and completed stages at Aquavit* and Michael O’Hare’s The Man Behind the Curtain. He and Matilda later launched Elia, a Greek fine-dining supper club run from their home in East Dulwich and inspired by Tom’s Greek Cypriot heritage, before opening Killiecrankie House in 2021.
Picture: Alex Baxter Photography