Johanna Ake has joined the team at The George Inn, Oakham as the new general manager and Gareth Phillipson is now head chef. The pair, who both previously worked at The George of Stamford, took up their new roles after meeting Ryck Turner, owner of the 17th century Grade II-listed inn located in Oakham’s Market Place.
Turner bought the hotel and the adjacent buildings for £3 million in 2022, and is set to spend another £2 million in an ambitious project to recreate a classic English country inn.
He has already refurbished several parts of the building while keeping it open and trading. Formerly known as the Whipper-In, it was rebranded earlier in the year as The George Inn – returning to its original name which dates back to the 17th century.
Ake, who moved to the UK from Finland in 2006 said: “When Ryck first showed me around and outlined his fantastic vision for The George Inn, I was very impressed by what he and his new team had already achieved over the course of the past 18 months, and I could not wait to get involved in what will continue to be an incredible journey.”
Phillipson qualified as a chef at a manor house hotel in Dover, and was formerly head chef at the Garden Room at The George of Stamford.
Commenting on his new role Phillipson said: “This new position represents the perfect chance for me to support the existing highly skilled kitchen team to serve the highest quality food at what is one of the best hospitality venues in the county. I am passionate about food and making sure that all the dishes that leave our kitchen are exceptional and excellent.
“When I was told that our beef comes from our herd of British White Cattle owned by Ryck, I welcomed the invitation to travel down to the Wiltshire farm to see our livestock in natural surroundings. We met the farmer caring for them and the butcher that creates all the different cuts for our kitchen. We believe that producing great food starts with ensuring that everything that comes into the kitchen is fresh and top quality.”
Turner said he is impressed by the way that Johanna and Gareth have settled into their new roles and credited the existing team for making them so welcome.
“The general manager and the head chef are clearly very important roles,” said Ryck. “Johanna and Gareth have more than 50 years of experience in the hospitality industry between them and they have already formed a strong working relationship with the existing team and myself.
“Within just a few weeks we are all operating as one unit, the entire team here is really starting to jell and perform in order to help realise my vision for The George Inn, Oakham. We are now forging ahead with delivering our plan to create a quintessential English country inn where our customers will be able to relax and enjoy themselves in a charming, convivial environment where the food and service is of the highest standard.”
More details of the 17th-century inn can be found here.
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