A chef who moved to Scotland from California for a better life is celebrating after his Edinburgh restaurant won a coveted Michelin star.
Rodney Wages closed his award-winning Avery restaurant in San Francisco and set up in the Stockbridge area of the capital.
Wages, 39, was eager to relocate to the UK and chose to move to Edinburgh with his family due to its “up and coming food scene” after touring the UK.
At an award ceremony in the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow, he said his move “was about quality of life for the family. My wife and I got married and we had just had a baby and we were looking for somewhere to settle the family and Edinburgh was perfect. It was hitting all the things that we needed to take that next chapter for our lives”.
Michelin judges praised him for bringing “Californian lightness” to Scottish produce.
The Michelin Guide said: “When American chef Rodney Wages visited Edinburgh on holiday, he fell in love with the city so much that he decided to move himself, his family and his restaurant here.
“And that’s how Avery, which once graced the streets of San Francisco, came to be located in a classic Georgian townhouse in Stockbridge.
“Rodney has wholly embraced his Scottish surroundings, taking the country’s bountiful produce and treating it with a Californian lightness, while providing bold, distinct flavours — like Orkney scallop dressed with pineapple jus.
“The drinks flight combines wine, saké, sherry and, of course, a wee single malt whisky.”
Wages, originally from Kansas, hopes to have his own farm in Scotland to grow ingredients for the restaurant.
Another Edinburgh restaurant also got its star. Lyla was opened by the chef Stuart Ralston in 2023 after he returned to Scotland following a spell in North America. He worked in New York under Gordon Ramsay, and in London.
Ralston said: “I am thrilled and honoured that Michelin felt that we deserved this award. Like many chefs, I have followed the guide my whole adult life and in many ways it’s shaped my career and who I am.
“Massive thank you to my spectacular team at Lyla, and the group at large — and of course to all our guests for supporting us over the years.
“This industry can come under fire at times because it can be a tough business, but I believe it’s a brilliant career choice.
“I managed to work myself all the way up from washing dishes to owning a group of successful restaurants in our capital city, Edinburgh, which I love. This industry can give hope and a chance to people from all walks of life, and I’m living proof of that.”
Michelin also recognised five Scottish restaurants that provide good food on a budget with its Bib Gourmand awards. They were GaGa and Margo in Glasgow, Skua and Ardfern in Edinburgh and the Fish Shop in Ballater on Deeside.
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