Caterer and Hotelkeeper – 6896
DORRICOTT TO assume HOUSE OF COMMONS post
DAVID Dorricott, executive chef at the SAS Portman Hotel, London, for the past 10 years, is to take over as executive head chef at the House of Commons.
Subject to parliamentary approval, a major refurbishment is planned at the House of Commons. Mr Dorricott will oversee a £16m refit of all back of house facilities during the next five years.
"Parliament should be a showcase of the excellent quality of food that now exists in this country and hopefully I can go someway towards achieving that," he said.
Mr Dorricott will be responsible for 130 staff working in nine kitchens and serving food to 15 outlets - six restaurants and nine cafeterias - as well as six function suites and eight bars.
The average number of covers served during the 38 weeks that parliament sits is 4,500, dropping to about 2,500 during the recesses.
Mr Dorricott replaces Isaac Gabay, who has retired after 22 years at the House of Commons.
COOKE TAKES FRENCH ROUTE
DONOVAN Cooke, head chef at Marco Pierre White's The Restaurant at the Hyde Park Hotel, London, has left the country to work under leading French chef Michel Lorain.
Mr Cooke said he had taken a job as demi chef de partie at the three-Michelin-star A la Côte St Jacques near Paris for the valuable experience it would give him.
His departure comes after two and a half years working under Mr White at The Restaurant and, before that, at Harvey's in South London.
It also comes just two weeks since Mr White parted company with Stephen Terry, his head chef at The Canteen in Chelsea Harbour.
TURNER TO HEAD UP STAKIS TRIO
KARL Turner, former general manager of the Manchester Airport Hilton hotel, is to take over as manager of three Stakis hotels in Aviemore.
Mr Turner will be responsible for the company's Coylumbridge, Four Seasons and Badenoch hotels, which together have more than 300 bedrooms, plus 50 timeshare lodges.
Mr Turner is being replaced at the Manchester Airport Hilton by Peter Croasdile, who previously managed the Adelaide Hilton in Australia.
LOVELL IN WHITE HOUSE MOVE
CLINTON Lovell, for the past two years executive sous chef at London's Ritz hotel, took over last week as executive chef at the White House Hotel, London.
Mr Lovell takes over from Ian Brown, who is retiring after 14 years at the hotel.
NURSE TO MANAGE CRAB & DRAGON
PHILIP Nurse is the general manager at the recently opened Crab & Dragon pub-restaurant in Camberley, Surrey - the third in the Pelican Group's Dragon Inns & Restaurants chain.
Mr Nurse takes charge of the pub and 80-seat Asian restaurant, after managing the Bridge Barn Beefeater restaurant at Woking in Surrey.
Restaurant manager at the Crab & Dragon is Caroline Gardener, formerly second chef at the Peking Garden restaurant in Southport, Merseyside.
WALKER TAKES ON TURNBERRY POST
STEPHEN Walker has been named sales and marketing director at the Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire, one of four new appointments to a restructured team.
Mr Walker, former sales manager at the Dalmahoy Hotel, near Edinburgh, is joined by Michael Bell of Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand hotel as sales manager, England, and Audrey Gillespie from the Glasgow Marriott as sales manager, Scotland.
The fourth new member of the team is Robby Ellins from Innsite Hotel Services, who was front of house manager at Turnberry from 1980 to 1989.
ON THE MOVE
Roger Blocksidge to director of information technology at Forte, from a similar role with BP Oil.
Alistair Bulloch to environmental food and health safety officer for Strathclyde Region Catering Services, from environmental health officer, Renfrew district council, Strathclyde.
Tim Hull to owner-manager of the Midland Hotel in Great Yarmouth, from general manager at the resort's Regency Dolphin Hotel.
David Hunter to catering marketing manager for cash and carry operator N&P, after five years as a freelance management consultant to hotels.
Aileen Ross and Linda Hardman to consultants in personnel group Berkeley Scott's sales and marketing division, from respectively sales manager at the Mount Juliet Hotel in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and sales executive at the Holiday Inn Cambridge.
Alison Packham to travel trade sales manager at Best Western Hotels, from travel trade sales executive at Stakis Hotels.
Mitchell Fisher, managing director of Forte Purchasing & Supply, has been co-opted onto the advisory council of the International Food & Drink Exhibition which takes place at Earls Court from23-27 April 1995.
OBITUARY:
WILLIAM LACY
BILL Lacy, who opened Lacy's restaurant in London with his wife Margaret Costa-Lacy in the early 1970s, has died aged 63.
Mr Lacy opened the restaurant after working as head chef at London's Empress restaurant and former Bristol Hotel.
