Many group hotels lose their individualism because they are homogenised. As the UK’s largest independent hotel group, Macdonald Hotels works hard to ensure that they bring to life the local area’s best flavours.
As the group celebrates the wonderful food pairing of British strawberries and Champagne across its hotels this month, Macdonald Hotels group executive chef Keith Shearer shares his food philosophy.
“Our approach to food is straightforward; by sourcing the freshest ingredients available and working with exceptionally talented chefs and staff that understand food, we are able to create dishes that people really want.
“Menus that blend the finest, freshest local ingredients with the best local talent makes for the perfect meal”.
Keith, who has over 20 years’ experience in the food and drink industry, rigorously champions the use of seasonal produce throughout the Group’s portfolio of luxury hotel restaurants, which between them hold over 45 AA Rosettes.
Chefs and kitchen staff at each hotel are encouraged to source produce, such as their vegetables, baked goods, and dairy produce, from local suppliers where possible. This both serves to support the local economy and ensure food is always fresh, ensuring the very best flavours.
Macdonald Hotels is also committed to only buying British wild fish such as cod, haddock, hake, halibut, turbot and seabass, which influences the hotels’ menus on a daily basis.
Keith added: “Our menus can change from day to day to utilise the best seasonal produce and we encourage all our chefs to keep a close collaboration with their suppliers to maximise the ‘best of now’.”
Much of the menu’s dishes at the group’s 45 hotels are homemade; from sorbets and ice creams, through to pasta, jam, and even hand-curing salmon. Staff also grow many herbs on-site and forage for seasonal ingredients on the hotel’s grounds. Whether it be picking mushrooms from local woodlands, apples and other soft fruits from the orchard, or harvesting honey from their very own beehive.
Food with local flavour
Want to taste the freshest food? Here are how some of the Macdonald Hotels are keeping down food miles and keeping up freshness by using the best local ingredients.
Jeremy Wares Restaurant, Macdonald Houstoun House Hotel, near Edinburgh
Head-chef Jonathan Greer serves an assortment of ingredients foraged in the hotel grounds, including; wild sorrel, wild garlic, dandelion leaf, elderflower, sweet cicely, wild leeks rose hip, as well as chanterelles and more wild mushrooms from the woodlands. All the ice cream, sorbet, brioche, scones, desserts, bread, pastries and jam are made on site, and all the hotel’s beef and lamb is sourced from local Scotbeef outlets, of which the Group has exclusive rights to the products.
The Shilton Restaurant, Macdonald Ansty Hall, Coventry
Run by head-chef and community man Paul Kitchener, who joined the Group in 2005, one of the hotel’s most popular dishes is its braised beef shin, which is cooked for 48 hours ahead of serving. The hotel is known for foraging mint from its garden during the summer’s Pimm’s season, and picking blackberries for its selection of sumptuous puddings which are prepared daily by the in-house pastry chef.
Regency Restaurant, Macdonald Leeming House, Ullswater
Having recently planted its own herb garden in the hotel’s grounds, Regency’s head-chef Ashley Wood, 30, knows a thing or two about local food having worked in and around Cumbria for most of his working life. The restaurant holds two prestigious AA rosettes, awarded for its classic British dishes, prepared with the freshest, seasonal ingredients.
Manor Restaurant, Macdonald Alveston Manor Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
The award winning Manor Restaurant, directed by head-chef George Thomas, make their very own sorbet in-house, and on upon special request, their own ice cream. Sous chef Jonathan Kitchen is passionate about his newly planted herb garden and has been working with one of the hotel’s gardeners to develop the patch which when finished will grow mint, thyme, rosemary, and many others depending on the time of year.
Acanthus, Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford
Head chef Georgi Minkov is celebrating the asparagus grown locally in Bicester. From chilled asparagus with truffle mayonnaise, grilled asparagus with pink grapefruit sauce vierge, asparagus velouté with sweet and sour cucumber, to asparagus spears with Serrano ham and Manchego cheese, guests are being spoiled for choice when it comes to celebrating this special vegetable.