Tyler King named head chef at Scotland’s Knockinaam Lodge

Tyler King has been appointed head chef at Knockinaam Lodge in Dumfries and Galloway.

The chef joins the boutique coastal hotel from the Michelin-starred Edinburgh restaurant Condita, where he was head chef for two and a half years.

He will lead Knockinaam’s three-AA-rosette restaurant, overseeing changes to its seven-course, seasonal tasting menu, which is priced at £135 per head, as well as introducing a new three-course lunch menu priced at £40 per person.

The chef will continue to work closely with local Scottish suppliers such as BoTree, Vanilla Labs, Shh’annu Lamb, Kirkwood Farm and Loch Ryan Wild Venison.

King said: “I am really excited to be joining Knockinaam Lodge and to have the opportunity to work with the incredible produce and producers here in Galloway. The setting is a huge part of what makes this place special, and I want the menu to reflect that. I’m looking forward to creating menus that change often and make the most of what is available each day to give guests a real sense of where they are."

Callum McCann, general manager at Knockinaam Lodge, added: “It is great to have Tyler join the team at Knockinaam. He has such a strong background in Scottish cooking and a real understanding of the produce we have around us, so he is the perfect fit for the hotel. Knockinaam has always had a real focus on food and has a long history of being recognised for what we do in the kitchen, including holding a Michelin star for more than two decades. Having Tyler join us is a  really exciting moment for us and we are looking forward to seeing where he takes the kitchen and welcoming guests to experience his cooking.” 

Fife-born Tyler began his career in the industry in 2014 at Malmaison Dundee before going on to work at Rockcliffe Hall in Darlington, Castle Terrace in Edinburgh and Number One at the Balmoral.

In 2020, he moved to Germany to work as senior sous chef at Michelin-starred Prism under Gal Ben Moshe, and in 2021, he returned to Scotland to help launch Bridge 15 prior to joining Condita.

The 10-bedroom Knockinaam Lodge is a former hunting lodge that inspired a scene in John Buchan’s spy thriller, the Thirty-Nine Steps, and also hosted Winston Churchill and Dwight D Eisenhower during preparations for the D-Day landings.