James Verity, Head Chef at Rhinefield House Hotel, The New Forest, Hampshire
I moved to the New Forest from London where I was the Head Chef for Tom Aikens in Chelsea. Due to my love for nature and the outdoors the forest was the perfect place for me to settle and Rhinefield provides a perfect location to showcase the abundance of fantastic local and seasonal produce that never ceases to amaze. From game to beautiful fresh mushrooms, there is always great product on offer.
Ever since I was a child I have always loved cooking and spent as much time cooking for my family as possible until I was old enough to become an apprentice chef at a hotel in London. Since then I have been lucky enough to travel far and wide working in hotels and restaurants throughout the Caribbean, North America, Dubai and Ireland.
I settled in St Lucia where I became the executive chef for Discovery at Marigot Bay and eventually opened my own restaurant The Rainforest Hideaway. Family eventually brought me back to the UK and I took a position as Head Chef at Pembroke lodge in Richmond park.
Following this I joined the team at the Dysart in Petersham working for Roux scholar Kenneth Culhane until eventually taking the Head Chef position with Tom Aikens in Chelsea.
I have an eager young team at Rhinefield who are passionate about making our guests experiences live up to the high expectations that they arrive with. I enjoy working closely with my team, passing on the skills and knowledge that have been passed on to me over the years and hope to see them thrive in the industry over the coming years.
