Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club hails ‘coup’ of recruiting renowned chef
The newly refurbished Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club on the outskirts of Edinburgh has appointed a new executive head chef, saying the hire marks a “real coup”.
Bruce Price has cooked all over the world – from Australia to Switzerland, China and Taiwan – since his early days in his native New Zealand. During his time in Scotland he has won the Scottish Chef of the Year title three times and worked for the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, Apex Hotels and was executive head chef at Crieff Hydro Hotel for six years.
He will lead a 24-strong kitchen team at Dalmahoy’s Pentland Restaurant, the James Braid Bar and Brasserie and the hotel’s conference, weddings and events catering offering, for example.
Price said “I’m very much looking forward to settling in at Dalmahoy and getting to know my team here. My first job will be to look at menuplanning for the season ahead.
“I’llbecomplementingexcellent Scottish produce with some international influences I’ve picked up on my travels… Expect to see some innovations like a Kiwi burger on the specials in the brasserie.”
Price has been deaf since birth but says he has “never seen it as a disadvantage”.
He added: “While the day’s business is written out on a whiteboard every morning, communication in the kitchen is mostly verbal, with me lip-reading and staff quickly learning to understand my spoken instructions. It’s a slightly different way of working for the team here but I’m sure it won’t be long before my new team and I get to know each other.”
Alistair Kinchin, general manager at the independently branded Dalmahoy, said hiring Bruce was a “real coup”, and his stewardship “heralds exciting times ahead for Dalmahoy as a food destination”.