Old Swan & Minster Mill appoints new head chef

Old Swan & Minster Mill appoints new head chef

A former apprentice at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen has been named head chef of the Old Swan & Minster Mill in the Cotswold village of Minster Lovell.

Benjamin Xavier began his culinary career with the charity foundation more than 10 years ago before going on to work for at D&D London's Plateau, restaurant Tom Aikens in Chelsea and Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco. Most recently he was chef de cuisine at the Movenpick hotel in DUbai.

Commenting on his move to the 600-year old village in the Cotswolds, Xavier said: "I'm looking forward to joining the team at the Old Swan & Minster Mill and putting my own personality into the menu.

"They have a great reputation for working closely with local suppliers and only the best seasonal produce, ensuring the main focus for their food is always flavour. This is something I'm also really passionate about and I'm excited to experiment with the produce grown on site in the chef's garden."

The Old Swan & Minster Mill is owned by Lana de Savary who, with her husband Peter, also owns the Cary Arms hotel overlooking Babbacombe Bay, Devon.

The Cotswolds property features its own large vegetable and fruit garden, which supplies the kitchen with home-grown produce, as well as bee hives in the 40 acres of wild-flower meadows.

General manager Patrick Jones added: "We're really pleased to welcome Benjamin to the de Savary family. He is a very talented chef who brings with him a wealth of experience and we are certain that Benjamin is the chef to help us achieve the great ambitions we have for the restaurant and create an exciting menu for both locals and visitors to enjoy."

Xavier will be taking over from current head chef David Mwiti who has worked at the Old Swan & Minster Mill since 2010 and is now returning to his home in Kenya.

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