James McCulloch Thomson appointed head chef at Macdonald Forest Hills hotel
James McCulloch Thomson has been appointed head chef at the four-star Macdonald Forest Hills hotel and spa in Aberfoyle, Scotland.
Thomson will head up the one-AA-rosette Garden Restaurant and Rafters Bar and Bistro.
Glasgow-born Thomson has over 30 years' experience as a chef and has worked in restaurants around the world including Melbourne, Australia where he lived for seven years.
Since returning to Scotland in 2013, he has held executive chef positions in several establishments, including Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House hotel and Dalmahoy hotel and Country Club in Edinburgh. He has also previously worked at Macdonald Pittodrie House in Aberdeenshire.
Thomson said: "Macdonald Forest Hills has an iconic Scottish setting and it is a true honour to be appointed as executive head chef. It's an exciting time in the hotel's history, with the property just completing a major transformation and this role was just too good an opportunity to miss.
"My style of food offers a simple and lighter way to eat, yet with multi-layered flavour and texture combinations and the odd bit of quirkiness. For me basing the menus around Scotland's larder is key. It's by far and away the best there is and I'll be focusing on seasonality and using the best suppliers and producers, from the fishermen and farmers to gamekeepers."
Andrew Deighan, general manager at Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa said: "James is an outstanding chef and we are very excited to have him join our team. We are looking forward to welcoming our regular guests as well as new customers to experience his fantastic dishes. James will be working closely with the teams here and our suppliers to develop new menus and fresh ideas for our restaurants."
The news follows a £3.5m redesign and refurbishment at the 55-bedroom hotel.
Established in 1990 by Donald Macdonald and colleagues, Macdonald hotels operates 55 hotels throughout the UK, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
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