text: the box tree the box tree is a restaurant located in ilkley , west yorkshire , england . it has been operated by chef simon gueller and his wife , rena , since 2005 . under their management the restaurant has been redecorated , although elements from the original owners of the restaurant remain . reception by food critics has improved over the years ; the restaurant has a single michelin star and three aa rosettes . a sister company is also run by the chef , called box tree events . the restaurant opened originally as a tearoom in 1962 , and went on to become one of the first four british restaurants to win two stars in 1977 . after losing both stars , it regained a star between 1996 and 2001 , whilst owned by helen avis . in 2010 , former employee marco pierre white bought into the restaurant . it serves modern french cuisine , and has also been awarded three aa rosettes and listed in harden 's restaurant guide . description the box tree has been located at 35 – 37 church street in ilkley since its original opening under malcolm reid and colin long in 1962 . it has been operated by simon and rena gueller since 2004 , originally under lease from the previous operator . gueller had previously been head chef at the michelin - starred restaurant rascasse . the guellers also run a sister company called box tree events , which provides outside catering . after being purchased by the guellers in 2004 , the restaurant was redecorated and modernised , the décor having become shabby under previous owners . the new decorations included recessed lighting and fabric - covered walls . there is a fireplace in the centre of the dining room , with an 18th - century settle ( a type of bench ) beside it . elements from the reid and long era remain , with the bar and ceilings still being recognisable from their time at the restaurant . menu the current menu still has elements from the earlier days of the restaurant , such as lobster and grouse . chef gueller produces modern french cuisine , with classical elements . dishes on the restaurant 's menu include a of foie gras served with a salad of smoked eel , alongside apple served both as a jelly and as a purée . foie gras was temporarily taken off the menu in 2008 following threats of protests from animal rights activists . the dish was later restored to the menu , and foie gras has also since been served with a duck and pistachios . to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the restaurant in 2008 , gueller recreated elements of the 1963 menu , but decided not to make certain dishes such as chicken chasseur or melon boats . other parts of the original menu included crêpes and half a grilled grapefruit . the dishes selected were included for a week in a six course 1960s set menu . history the sandstone building itself dates back to the 1720s . it was purchased by reid and long in 1962 who initially operated the premises as a tea room . the restaurant gained two michelin stars in 1977 ; that year 's list was the first with two star restaurants in the uk ( the others were the waterside inn , le gavroche and the connaught ) . following the michelin stars , the restaurant became a hot - spot for celebrities , with the singer johnny mathis being a regular , and both shirley bassey and margaret thatcher were seen at the restaurant . in 1979 future multi - michelin star chef marco pierre white began working at the box tree at the age of 17 , under reid and long ; he received his training at the restaurant . he later recalled in his book white heat that the restaurant made him obsessed with food and he still considers the restaurant to be his spiritual home . after holding the two michelin stars until 1988 , and then losing its single star in 1991 , in 1992 the restaurant went into receivership and was purchased by helen avis . under chef thierry - , the restaurant was restored to a single michelin star in 1996 . white returned to the restaurant as a consultant in 1994 , which lasted two months and ended in a court case against the chef with damages of £ 880 awarded after he damaged a ceiling . - left the restaurant in 2001 , and was replaced by toby hill , the youngest chef ever to hold a michelin star . the change of chef also changed the style of food served to a " mediterranean slant " . something which did not last as hill left after only seven months in charge of the kitchen . he was replaced by shane goodway in 2002 and the style reverted to traditional french . the restaurant lost the michelin star in the 2003 edition of the guide and was no longer included in either the aa restaurant guide or the good food guide . goodway left the kitchen shortly after the restaurant lost the michelin star , but stated that the decision had been taken before they had been informed . the guellers leased the restaurant from avis in 2004 . within five months of re - opening it regained a michelin star . having been friends with simon gueller since they were teenagers , marco pierre white returned to the restaurant in 2007 in order to film segments for the itv1 cookery reality television show hell 's kitchen . white has aspirations to work with gueller to return the box tree to its former status as a two - michelin - starred restaurant . reception jan moir reviewed the restaurant in 2004 for the daily telegraph shortly after gueller took over and refurbished the restaurant . she praised the lighter style of the food under the new chef and , although she was initially concerned over the waiter suggesting squab pigeon , she described the dish as " neatly executed " , and the most successful dish that she tasted . she thought that the chef was good , but needed time to settle in and described his wife rina in front of house as a " complete natural " . jay rayner visited the restaurant in 2005 , prior to the restaurant being awarded a new michelin star . he pointed out some issues regarding menu pricing as there were differences in prices on the website as opposed to in person . he thought that the scallops were undercooked , and the brioche served with a beef tenderloin arrived soggy . he said that the dishes " showed an understanding of the fundamentals " , but were not of particular note . in 2012 , jill turton ate at the restaurant for the yorkshire post following the restaurant 's fiftieth anniversary , and described some dishes , such as asparagus and a soft - boiled egg which had been cooked in a bain - marie , as " perfect " . she described the meal overall as " terrific " , but said that the desserts were not a stretch for the kitchen , having ordered a chocolate brownie . harden 's , a british restaurant guide , describes the food as " light and delicious " , and the cooking as " exemplary " . in its review system , it rates the food as one out of five ( one being the highest rating available ) , and both service and ambiance as two out of five . the automobile association has awarded the box tree three aa rosettes .