The Farncombe Estate in the Cotswolds has announced the appointment of Stephen Browning as General Manager of Dormy House. Browning joins on 9 December and oversee the hotel, spa and three restaurants.
Browning’s experience includes 9 years with the Exclusive Collection where he was General Manager of The Manor House in Castle Combe. This 5-star country house hotel is home to a Michelin starred restaurant, championship golf-course and the 4-bedroom Waterfall Lodge. Alongside this he ran the group’s 12-bedroom Castle Inn. Prior to the Exclusive Collection Stephen worked for a number of Handpicked Hotels including New Hall Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield, Crathorne Hall Hotel in North Yorkshire and Wood Hall Hotel & Spa in Wetherby. He joins Dormy House from the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel.
Andrew Grahame, CEO of the Farncombe Estate, said: “We are delighted to have Stephen on board. His appointment comes at a significant time for the estate and in particular for Dormy House. Whilst 2019 has seen Farncombe reach record revenue targets driven by high occupancy levels we want to place more of a focus on the guest experience to ensure continued success in 2020 and beyond. To achieve this the right leader is vital and I am convinced that Stephen’s experience and charisma makes him the ideal person to lead the team at Dormy House.”
He adds, “I am excited to announce that we will also be sharing the appointment of our new Head Chef for Dormy House shortly. Under the helm of Farncombe’s culinary director Martin Burge we have transformed Dormy House’s F&B offerings this year. I look forward to working closely with Martin, Stephen and the new chef to further enhance our existing offering and to achieving even greater things.”
Stephen Browning, General Manager, Dormy HouseThis year Dormy House opened two new restaurants. The Back Garden offers guests seasonally inspired dishes that showcase fantastic home-grown and local produce whilst MO is an innovative new 8-course tasting restaurant for up to 12-guests. Alongside a continued focus on F&B, 2020 will also see the opening of a brand-new mega suite at Dormy House and a more in-depth focus on wellness. House Spa will offer a series of new wellness talks, classes and events and launch some carefully selected new treatments.
Stephen Browning commented: “I am delighted and honoured to be taking over as general manager of such a prestigious and much-loved hotel and spa. It is set to be an exciting year for Dormy House, and I am looking forward to working closely with the team and to ensuring we achieve – and exceed – our full potential so that Dormy House continues to set the bar for country house hotels in the UK.”
Dormy House is one of a trio of boutique hotels which includes Foxhill Manor and The Fish Hotel. All three hotels sit on the 400-acre Farncombe Estate in the Cotswolds near Broadway. Dormy House began life as a working farmhouse in the 17th century. Since 1977 it has been owned and operated by the same family and in 2013 re-opened following a brilliant transformation. Dormy House fuses the best of quintessential countryside living with a touch of Scandinavian style and from humble beginnings has flourished into one of the UK’s most loved hotels.
