Langley Castle in Northumberland has appointed Mark Greenaway as its first Culinary Director as the hotel sets out plans to strengthen its position as a food-led destination.
The appointment comes during the four-star hotel’s 40th anniversary year and forms part of what it has described as a ‘field to fortress’ strategy, placing greater emphasis on seasonal and locally sourced food across the property.
Greenaway will oversee the culinary direction of food served throughout Langley Castle, including its two-AA-Rosette Josephine’s restaurant, the Pavilion and Drawing Room.
Menus will focus on seasonal produce from Northumberland and the wider region and will evolve throughout the year according to ingredient availability.
The approach will extend across tasting and à la carte menus alongside more relaxed dining, afternoon teas, Sunday lunches, weddings and special events.
Greenaway has worked across the restaurant and hotel sectors during his career and appeared on television programmes including Great British Menu, Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch.
He opened Mark Greenaway at Picardy Place in Edinburgh in 2011 before relocating the restaurant to North Castle Street.
Greenaway later developed Grazing by Mark Greenaway at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian and has also published two cookbooks, Perception and Progression.
His appointment will see him work with Langley Castle’s culinary team to develop menus centred on flavour, seasonality and regional sourcing.
Mohamed Serag, General Manager of Langley Castle, said: “The castle has never had a culinary director at the helm, which demonstrates our intention to make Langley Castle one of the key places to head for an experience that intertwines 676 years of history with extraordinarily delightful, fresh and seasonal food.
“Under Mark’s direction, food will become a more integral part of our offering to the visiting guest and local diner than ever before, providing every reason for our customers to unwind in a setting like no other, with centuries of history surrounding them.
“Attracting Mark Greenaway to Langley Castle has been a real coup in what is our 40th anniversary year as a hotel and restaurant.”
Greenaway added: “This is an exciting and brand-new challenge, with an opportunity for me to take a blank page and create a vision that brings Northumberland produce to the fore and puts seasonal fine dining centre stage. I have big ambitions for Langley Castle and want to take my entire culinary team on an exciting journey that will be challenging but extraordinarily rewarding.
“The message is for food-lovers to make a bee line for Northumberland and understand the role that food can play in enriching a stay at a venue that is truly like no other. Our intention is to create memories on a plate and make our food the catalyst for conversations about dishes that will still be being held in many years to come.”
Langley Castle dates back to 1350 and sits within a ten-acre estate near Hexham.