Richard Picard-Edwards appointed head chef at Lartington Hall
Exclusive use venue Lartington Hall in Barnard Castle, County Durham has appointed Richard Picard-Edwards as head chef.
Picard-Edwards was previously executive chef at the Lords of the Manor hotel in Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, for nearly four years. At the time of his departure in December 2016, he said and his family were planning to move to France.
However, he has now decided to return to his northern roots and try the different challenge of cooking "exceptionally high quality" event food.
The Grade II* listed, 17th century Lartington Hall has been owned by Shona and John Harper Wilkes since 2011 and over the past six years had undergone an extensive renovation. Set within an estate of 75 acres, it has 12 bedrooms.
Picard-Edwards, who worked at Lucknam Park, near Bath, earlier in his career, described his new role as "an exciting change".
He added: "Whether it be cooking at home or cooking in a Michelin starred restaurant, I've always been passionate about cooking and trying to get the best depth of flavours and textures out of my ingredients."
As well as being available as an exclusive use venue, Lartington Hall is also planning to open for occasional banquet evenings with dinner at £95 per head or from £440 per couple to include an overnight stay and breakfast.
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