Hand Picked Hotels today announces Chef Joe Gould has joined the team at The Cedar Restaurant at Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa as Head Chef from Glenapp Castle Hotel in Ayrshire.
The hotel forms part of the Hand Picked Hotels portfolio of 21 privately owned, luxury country houses and coastal retreats across the UK and Channel Islands.
Joe brings with him a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience from over 17 years of working in high end restaurants across the UK. Starting his career as a Commis Chef at Newick Park Country House Hotel, Joe has held positions across award-winning and acclaimed restaurants including 3 Rosette Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, Michelin-starred Coworth Park Hotel and Lainston House Hotel.
What’s more, he has completed stages at Michelin star restaurants such as Restaurant Überfahrt, Munich, Midsummer house, Cambridge, and Dabbous, London, which hold three, two and one stars respectively. Achievements also include winning the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs UK Young Chef of the Year in 2015. He will also feature on the BBC’s Amazing Hotels, Life Beyond the Lobby, at Glenapp Castle on 24th September 2023.
It is this depth of experience in high-end restaurants which Hand Picked Hotels hopes will enable Joe to continue to elevate the food offering. Joe will be responsible for the development of seasonal menus for The Cedar Restaurant, a 2AA Rosette restaurant which offers diners an intimate and relaxing setting to enjoy classic dishes enhanced with a contemporary twist, drawing inspiration from the surrounding area and using locally sourced food.
Joe will also oversee private dining menus as well as those for curated events for both social and corporate occasions, where food often takes centre stage. Also under his watchful eye will be the luxurious afternoon teas which are served in the magnificent Tudor Great Hall which has played host to many eminent guests including Queen Elizabeth I.
Joe Gould comments: “I am thrilled to have taken on the new challenge of Head Chef at Fawsley Hall’s Cedar Restaurant. Fawsley Hall is in a truly spectacular location, nestled within Northamptonshire’s rolling countryside and surrounded by a myriad of producers creating incredible products which we can use in our kitchen. It’s almost impossible to be here and not feel inspired by the building’s long and illustrious history, the fantastic team and the surrounding scenery. I have big ambitions for The Cedar Restaurant and look forward to working with the team to elevate it to new culinary levels above and beyond its existing accolades, offering our guest truly memorable dining experiences.”
Sunil Kanjanghat, Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa General Manager, adds: “We’re very excited have welcomed Joe to the team here at Fawsley Hall. Ensuring we have a high quality and unique food and drink offering here for residents and guests alike has been of huge importance to the team, and we’re confident that Joe will help us continue on our journey of taking F&B to new heights. We have some exciting experiences coming up between now and the end of the year – including our bespoke Christmas package – so Joe and the team will absolutely be hitting the ground running.”
Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa is part of Hand Picked Hotels, a collection of 21 hotels founded in 2001 by owner, Chairman and CEO, Julia Hands MBE. Housed in a historic Tudor country house, it features formal gardens and parkland sculpted by the renowned architect Capability Brown in the 1760s, over 60 guest bedrooms, and an award-winning spa and wellness facility.