Group executive head chef position created as Chestnut Group plans £2.5m expansion

24 May 2016 by Janet Harmer

Suffolk-based hospitality firm the Chestnut Group has appointed Dan Grigg to the newly created position of group executive head chef as it embarks on a capital-raising initiative to fund further expansion.

The three-year-old firm was founded by Philip Turner, a former banker and corporate financier, as a passion project when he bought and renovated his local pub, now known as the Packhorse Inn, near Newmarket. The group now has three properties including the Rupert Brooke, a gastropub in Grantchester, and the White Horse in Easton, which marked Chestnut's first move into management.

Its latest venture will be a nine-bedroom boutique hotel in Bury St Edmunds, the Northgate, which will open for business in September.

The Packhorse, Rupert Brooke and Northgate have been funded privately, and the White Horse was financed from cash flow. However, Chestnut has confirmed that it is on the verge of completing a £2.5m fundraising round to facilitate further growth.

The company's aim is to expand its footprint within East Anglia, developing services across hospitality, management and lifestyle.

Grigg, who achieved his first head chef position at 25, has previously worked at the Samling hotel and Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, both in Cumbria. He will now work closely with Chestnut's group head chefs to create seasonal menus and oversee the kitchen teams.

He said: "I'm hugely excited about taking the helm in the Chestnut Group's kitchen. We have a shared goal to mix the best seasonal produce with creative flair to inject some fun into the dining experience through sensational flavours. Serving quality food is central to the Chestnut Group's promise of providing guests with a premium hospitality experience.

"The company is quickly making a name for itself and we're already working hard to create what we hope will be celebrated menus and a showcase for East Anglian produce."

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