A PAIR of Southend hotels have been recognised for having some of the best cuisine across the whole of Britain.

Both the Roslin Beach Hotel, based on Thorpe Esplanade, and the Holiday Inn, at Southend Airport, received an undercover overnight visit from AA inspectors, who rewarded them with rosettes for their culinary excellence on checkout.

Both will feature in the AA Restaurant Guide for next year, which gives food lovers an idea of the best places to eat, thanks to their delicious food and impeccable service.

The Roslin Beach Hotel has been recognised in the past for its delicious dining and hard work, having received the VisitEngland Breakfast Award, the VisitEngland Gold Award, and was rated with four stars this year by the AA.

Jacqui Dallimore, managing director at The Roslin Beach Hotel, said: “I’ve been here for 13 years, and have had the pleasure to watch the hotel to grow into the success it is.

“It’s always nerve wracking, as you never know when the inspector is going to visit.

“This year they came two months earlier than the usual time, which took us by surprise, but reassures us that we’re doing a fantastic job.

“We don’t find out till checkout the next morning that they’ve actually been.

“During the inspectors’ stay, they were particularly impressed with our food quality, presentation and service, telling us it was first class.

“We’ve also recently changed our menu from being a set a la carte one to offering a wider range for everyone so it’s not just fine dining, which the inspector loved.

Jacqui continued: “I’m so proud of the entire hotel staff, we’ve all spent such a long time making it the business what it is.

“I’d like to thank absolutely everyone, our kitchen team of 23, the waiters, the list goes on. It’s a testament to you all. We’re taking Southend to new levels.”

Louise Merrel, sales manager from the Holiday Inn Southend, said: “We were recognised for our commitment in using freshly-sourced local ingredients, as well as for our seasonal menus. It’s such an honour to have this accolade again, which really gives customers an idea of what they can expect before they visit.

“I want to shout from the rooftops how proud I am of all our staff, including the kitchen team of 16 chefs who work through from 5am until 11pm to ensure the food is perfect. We’d also like to thank our wonderful customers.”