Swinton Estate appoints Steve Darou as executive head chef

Swinton Estate has appointed Steve Darou as executive head chef, having joined the country house hotel on 8 June.

Darou has made the move to North Yorkshire from his role as group head chef at St. John restaurants in London.  

His experience with seasonal, nose-to-tail cooking hopes to strengthen Swinton’s culinary ambitions pushing forward with its own ‘estate-to-plate’ ethos.

Darou will champion the estate’s produce and whole-animal butchery, ensuring minimal waste.

Steve Darou said: “I am delighted to be joining Swinton and leading the food offering across the estate. Having grown up in Canada with a strong connection to foraging and fishing, I have always held a deep respect for produce and provenance.

“After 12 years with St. John in London, I am excited to work with the team to realise the full potential of one of the country’s great estates, from its exceptional walled kitchen garden to the wider landscape that shapes its identity. It is a rare opportunity to create food that is not only delicious, but truly rooted in place.”

General manager, Ramune Aleks, added: “This is an exciting moment for Swinton, and we are delighted to welcome Steve to the estate. His 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.”

As Darou joins the team, Josh Barnes, who heads up the Swinton’s Chef’s Table at the cookery school will conclude his time with the estate. During the two-and-a-half years running the Chef’s Table, it was awarded three AA rosettes and received Michelin recognition.

Swinton Estate will share further plans for the future of the Chef’s Table experience in due course.

The Swinton Estate hosted The Caterer’s 2026 Acorn Awards last weekend, where 30 of the hospitality industry’s rising stars under the age of 30 enjoyed a winners’ weekend and received their trophies at a formal lunch on Monday 8 June.

Read more about the Acorn Awards which celebrated its 40^th anniversary this year.