Rupert Taylor appointed head chef of Bath's Abbey hotel
Rupert Taylor has been appointed head chef of the four-AA-star, 60-bedroom Abbey hotel in Bath, home to the Allium restaurant.
He replaces Chris Staines, who has left the hotel after spending five years looking after the hotel's food and beverage operation.
Born and brought up in Bath, Taylor was previously head chef at the Swan at Swineford, a Bath Ales pub near Bristol he ran in partnership with his wife Amy. He has also previously worked as a consultant for two-Michelin-star Whatley Manor in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
Taylor began his career at two hotels in and around Bath: Homewood Park and the Royal Crescent, before moving on to Newbury Manor, Newbury, Berkshire; and then the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, where he was chef de partie for four years.
He has also worked as sous chef at Fifteen in Watergate Bay, Cornwall, and in his first head chef role at the Bell at Skenfrith, Monmouthshire.
New dishes on the menu from Taylor will include turbot with brown bread sauce and smoke mussels, and venison rolled in hay ash with red cabbage puree and broccoli.
Ian Taylor, who with his wife Christa bought the Abbey hotel in 2012 and is no related to the new head chef, said: "Rupert comes with a wealth of experience and we are excited to see the new food concepts he has in store for Allium this year."
The Taylors recently opened their third hotel in Bath with the launch of No 15 Great Pulteney to join the Abbey hotel and Villa at Henrietta Park.
Bath hoteliers protest against bed tax proposals >>
Chef Chris Staines to leave Allium at Abbey Hotel >>
Business profile: The Abbey hotel, Bath >>
Videos from The Caterer archives
