A restaurant that opened a little over a year has been inundated with messages after being awarded a prestigious Michelin star.
So-Lo is tucked away in the quiet village of Aughton, located between Maghull and Ormskirk, and is led by Tim Allen.
Tim grew up in the Pennines and worked in restaurants in Oxford, Reading, Cambridge and Malmesbury before eventually gaining his first Michelin star at Launceston Place in London. He then moved to the Cotswolds and later Essex, where he was again recognised with a star.
READ MORE: Michelin star guide 2023 revealed as Aughton restaurant celebrates
So-Lo is Tim's first venture truly on his own. He told the ECHO: "I've been awarded distinctions elsewhere but none of those were really my own. We're brand new. It was the end of the pandemic (when he started the restaurant) and people said I was either ballsy or daft, or both."
Since being announced as a Michelin star holder, Tim has been inundated with hundreds of messages across all platforms. So-Lo has also taken more than 160 reservations in 24 hours.
"The impact has been huge," he said. "I think in this area now there's a real focus on high quality food and produce. We work directly with producers and growers and we're so lucky to get produce this good. If you start with good, you end with good.
"We've got a lot of regular, loyal guests. We've been made to feel really welcome. They're really genuine people and it's a lovely place to be."
Tim added: "To come here and do this was a big step, and at the end of the pandemic was a big gamble. It was frightening to be honest.
"Now we've obviously got the cost of living issues facing us all. But we use high quality produce here and will continue to do so."
With So-Lo's success, Aughton now boasts a massive four Michelin stars across three high-end venues. Moor Hall retained its two stars in the 2023 guide while The Barn at Moor Hall kept its one star.
Elsewhere in Merseyside, Fraiche on the Wirral also retained its one Michelin star rating.
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