Hospitality job moves: Swinton Estate, Iconic Hotels and Fairmont St Andrews

Swinton Estate names new executive head chef

Steve Darou has been appointed as executive head chef for Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire. He joins from London’s St John restaurants, where he was group head chef.

His appointment coincides with the departure of Josh Barnes, who has run Swinton’s Chef’s Table at the cookery school for the past two and a half years. 

Swinton Estate’s general manager Ramune Aleks said Darou’s “appointment reflects our ambition to build a kitchen culture that combines exceptional cooking with a deeper understanding of provenance, seasonality and regenerative hospitality, while making the very most of the extraordinary produce and farming heritage around us”. 

Chris Whitmore takes up head chef role at Scarlet hotel 

Chris Whitmore has been appointed head chef at the Scarlet hotel in Newquay, Cornwall. He succeeds Jack Clayton, who recently departed to join Tom Sellers’ Mor at the Carbis Bay Estate in St Ives. 

Whitmore has previously held posts at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and within Jason Atherton’s the Social Group. He said: “I’m delighted to be joining Scarlet and to be working with such exceptional local ingredients and suppliers. The changing seasons will be at the heart of everything we create, from relaxed lunches and afternoon teas through to our evening tasting menu.”

Mary-Ellen McTague joins Northern Roots 

Chef, food writer and restaurateur Mary-Ellen McTague has joined Oldham-based urban farm Northern Roots as its new chef partner. McTague will be tasked with developing the 160-acre outpost’s café and catering offer, overseeing its menu development and supporting the recruitment of key roles. 

She said: “Northern Roots represents something incredibly exciting. There are very few places in the UK attempting to bring together urban farming, nature recovery, community wellbeing and food production at this scale. 

“The opportunity to create a genuinely farm-to-fork food offer, where people can see where their food comes from and understand the journey from growing to plate, is something I feel incredibly passionate about. I’m looking forward to helping shape a food experience that reflects the values and ambition of Northern Roots.”

New leadership duo at Hotel Indigo Coventry 

Hotel Indigo Coventry, which is operated by Castlebridge Hospitality, has appointed Madan Rathore as hotel manager and Hugo Correia as head chef. 

Rathore joined the hotel in April following senior leadership roles at Leicester’s Ramada Encore by Wyndham and Intercontinental Hotels Group. 

Correia has returned to Hotel Indigo following a stint as head chef at Best Western’s Weston Hall hotel in Warwickshire, having previously held sous chef roles at aviation catering firm Niche & Bespoke and Birmingham’s Crowne Plaza hotel. 

Iconic Hotels & Resorts appoints inaugural director of people and culture 

Luxury hotel brand Iconic Hotels & Resorts has named Yasmin Boromand as its first director of people and culture. Her appointment comes shortly after Iconic Hotels & Resorts appointed Shan Kanagasingham, formerly of Auberge Collection, as its chief operating officer.  

Boromand will be tasked with overseeing the “overarching people strategy, ensuring its service excellence is firmly rooted in a culture that actively values, develops and empowers its people”.

She most recently acted as global director of talent acquisition and HR strategy for hospitality group Dream International, and has previously held roles at the Dorchester Collection and Discovery Networks International.

Margate restaurant Willy’s hires new head chef 

Lewis Johnson has joined Willy’s, the restaurant within boutique hotel Margate House, as head chef following the departure of Mark O’Brien in May. Johnson, who most recently acted as a chef consultant for Qatar-based hospitality group Mayfair Hospitality, has relocated to Margate for his new role.

He was previously head chef for the James Blunt-owned gastropub the Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea, London, as well as working as a pastry chef under Michel Roux at two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London.

Hyde & Seek appoints London Hyde Park general manager

Hyde & Seek, a Tribute Portfolio hotel, has appointed Paul Davies as general manager of its London Hyde Park outpost. Davies brings 38 years of hospitality experience spanning numerous posts across Marriott International. 

In his new role at the London Hyde Park hotel, due to open in September, Davies will strive to “create a workplace where team members feel empowered to bring warmth, personality and genuine hospitality to every guest interaction”.

Suite of fresh appointments at the Cumberland hotel 

The Cumberland hotel in London’s Marble Arch has made a raft of new appointments, including (from left) Cristian Miu as the hotel’s new bar manager, Thomas Chakalamattathu as restaurant manager of Lírica, Ancuta Ababei as the hotel’s new director of rooms and Balin Sondh as sales manager for Lírica and the recently opened Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen.

Pedro Da Silva, general manager at the Cumberland, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Matthew, Cristian, Thomas, Ancuta and Balin to the Cumberland. Each brings a wealth of experience, expertise and passion for hospitality, and together they further strengthen our leadership team as we continue to enhance the guest experience across the hotel’s rooms, restaurants, bars and culinary offering.”