Macdonald Hotels has announced that Michelin-starred chef, Tony Borthwick is joining Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews as the new executive head chef
Tony Borthwick will be heading up the luxury hotel’s 3 AA Rosette Italian restaurant Rocca, One Under restaurant and R Bar, the Victorian mansions whisky and champagne bar.
The luxury hotel, which is just a sand wedge from the 18th hole of the world famous Old Course, boasts 70 bedrooms. Tony, who describes his cooking as classical and simple using the best local ingredients with the ‘odd wild card’, will work with the established team to develop new menus, a memorable breakfast and top quality afternoon teas.
As well as his Michelin star gained in 2001 at his own restaurant, The Plumed Horse in Crossmichael, Tony won the 2005 Scottish Chef of the year and Good Food Guide’s 2002 Scottish newcomer of the Year. Tony, who is self-taught, opened The Plumed Horse after many years working his way up the restaurant ladder in London and Glasgow. Prior to becoming a chef, he worked for the Yorkshire Water Authority, before deciding to follow his passion for cooking after a serious accident prompted him to change his career.
Tony Borthwick said: “Macdonald Rusacks Hotel is one of the most iconic in the world and it is a true honour to be appointed as executive chef. This role was just too good an opportunity to miss and the future plans for the property are fantastic.”
On his cookery style Tony continued; “My style of food can be a lot simpler than a lot of other chefs, yet flavours and textures remain multi-layered. Food is a very personal thing, if all chefs cooked the same way it would be pretty boring, so my first job is to get the whole brigade to produce the food I want and allow it to show on the plate. My menus don’t change, they evolve, naturally, for instance a brand new fish main course, may only run for a week or so but then have one element or ingredient change. I’ve got a few old favourites in my personal repertoire so they’ll be getting an uplift and will be seen on the menus.
“I am all about local ingredients and am a big supporter of our suppliers and producers from our fishermen, farmers and gamekeepers to the lady down the road who produces flowers for our tables.”
Kristian Campbell, general manager at Macdonald Rusacks Hotel said: “Tony Borthwick is an outstanding chef and we are very excited to have him join our team here at Macdonald Rusacks. We are really looking forward to welcoming our regular guests as well as new ones to experience his fantastic dishes. Tony will be working closely with the teams here and our suppliers to develop new menus and fresh ideas for our restaurants and bar.”
The news follows the announcement that planning permission has been given for a £7m extension to the hotel, which will include 44 new suites, a rooftop restaurant for 145 diners, bar and terrace, as well as glass-fronted suites allowing visitors to witness up-close the grandeur of golf’s most historic course. The design has been chosen to carefully blend the iconic location with the most luxuriously appointed accommodation, additions which the company is confident will achieve ‘5 Red Star’ status for the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel.
Macdonald Hotels Ltd celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and operates over 45 hotels across the UK and ten resorts in both the UK, Spain and Portugal.