The 30-year-old, originally from Forres, forged his career path when he won the Chef’s UK Accor Challenge Award for Britain when he was only 21 before moving to The Three Chimneys, helping the restaurant retain its 3 AA Rosettes. Since then, he has been head chef at two Aberdeenshire hotels and brings 14 years’ experience to his new role.
“The executive chef role at Meldrum House is a job I’ve always aspired to,” Alan said. “I look forward to building on the hotel’s reputation and putting my own flair on the menus with my take on Scottish produce with a French twist. I’m also looking forward to working with operations manager Nicola Downie and her established front of house team to continue making it one of Aberdeenshire’s top foodie destinations.
Privately owned, the award-winning Meldrum House has built a reputation for its food using world-class produce from local suppliers. As well as its two Red Rosette dining room, it invested in four luxury dining domes which were launched in July 2020 and continue to experience high levels of bookings, months in advance.
General manager Jordan Charles said: “We’re delighted that Alan has joined our talented team, working on our established gate-to-plate dining experience. The last few months since reopening from lockdown has seen one of the busiest periods in the hotel’s history and we want to continue to build on that.
“Alan is a highly regarded and innovative chef which makes for an exciting chapter ahead for the hotel.”
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