Goldsborough Hall is delighted to announce Chris O’Callaghan as the new head chef of its elegant two AA rosette fine dining experience.
Prior to joining Goldsborough Hall, 37-year-old Chris has worked in some of the finest 3AA rosette and Michelin-starred hotels and restaurants across the UK. He was recently head chef at The Castle Dairy in Kendal, Cumbria, an historic establishment which ran as a fine dining restaurant and art gallery, Here he trained and mentored apprentices with the aim to fill the gap in the hospitality industry of highly trained chefs and waiting staff.
Over the last two decades Chris has honed his skills building a prestigious career creating dishes focused around the offerings of local farms and shone a spotlight on seasonal and sustainable produce. Chris brings with him natural talent, intense desire and an irrefutable motivation to create an unforgettable dining experience. Crediting his experience working under Alan Murchison’s 10 in 8’s Fine Dining Group, Chris says, “Alan really shaped the way I cook. He taught me the importance of capturing flavour, the significance of discipline and the relevance of value.”
“I want a civilised approach to dining,” explains Chris. “Diners should truly savour their chosen dishes. Cooking needs passion and heart. It’s about people sharing time together and rewarding their palate with a riot of carefully balanced textures which may be complex to create but easy to enjoy.” Describing his style as ‘Modern British’ Chris’s cooking is defined by inspiring and preserving the original flavours of fresh ingredients as well as smoothly combining diversity of local foods and cooking techniques. The newly constructed 1,300sq ft glasshouse in the kitchen garden at Goldsborough Hall will grow a wealth of produce to provide the kitchen, giving extra dimensions to flavour and nutrition.
“With Goldsborough Hall’s new glasshouse and kitchen garden expansion, having a seasonal calendar means we can champion different fruit and vegetables. Working closely with the garden team, we will be able to provide the freshest seasonal home grown produce and maximise the growing potential of the kitchen garden,” adds Chris.
Goldsborough Hall owner Mark Oglesby says, “I am thrilled to welcome Chris as our new Head Chef. We look forward to refining the team knowledge and high skill, incorporating our produce into our new menus under Chris’s captaincy. We strive to give guests an unforgettable, authentic culinary experiences and with the arrival of Chris, our ambitions are limitless.”
Chris will oversee all culinary activities including lunch and dinner service, in-room dining plus extensive banquet and catering offerings for weddings, private functions and corporate events.
