Chef Rumours & Gossip: New appointments
It’s been a while since I’ve posted some new chef rumours, so here we go.
Former head chef at the Vineyard, Coworth Park & recently the Quince Tree in Stonor, Peter Eaton, has been reunited with former 2Michelin star chef John Campbell. The award winning partnership had been in tandem for nearly 6 years, before the relative departures from the Dorchester Collection property.
Speaking to chefhermes.com, John Campbell said:
Yes PE on board is great, his role a wider position in the business so not the chef for the restaurant but more for the group and growing the wider business, really chuffed to have him back.
John Campbell Restaurants (JCR) announced the plans for the property in Woodspeen, Newbury in Berkshire, back in December last year. That coupled with a very well received appearance on Masterchef in mid May, has brought Campbell back into the catering establishment’s peripheral vision.
Eaton’s replacement at the Quince Tree has yet to be announced; but the chef rumours are, that it’s a chef from the Swan at Streatly, in nearby Reading.
The vacant position a Coworth Park also seems to have been filled. The troubled Dorchester Collection property, seems to be going through senior chefs at a great rate of knots. This time they have decided to look towards a man manager over a talented chef.
Simon Whitely was formerly Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef at The Old Course, St. Andrews and Executive Chef at Hilton, Glasgow. From doing my research about Whitely, he is about empowerment & mentoring, over the ‘have a dog & bark yourself’ mentality.
Yet another beleaguered property which seems to be in free-fall is Heckfield Place. They too appear to have appointed yet another Executive chef after the some time ago departure of Chris Staines.
Whilst Culinary Director, Skye Gyngell, is preoccupied with the opening of her Somerset House restaurant called ‘Spring’ (due to open in September, I’ll let you insert your own jokes here….), and rumours that Heckfield is on the market as an unfinished project. Chef Barnaby Jones, formerly of: Pink Sands Bay, Caribbean; Carlisle Bay, also in the Caribbean and Babbington House in Somerset, seems perfectly qualified for a busy multi-million pound project, if it ever opens.
Another relatively new appointment is Shane Hughes as Head Chef at Thackery’s restaurant in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Hughes replaces Dan Hatton, who has moved on to an as yet un-named pub/restaurant in the same vicinity as his previous employer. Hughes previously gained a Michelin star at Ynyshir Hall in Wales, before moving to Alex Gauthier’s old haunt, Roussillon, in Pimlico, London. After this closed, he eventually ended up at the Tudor Room, Great Fosters, before departing earlier this year.
As ever with these types of post, I’d like to wish all concerned all the best for the future.
