Macdonald Hotels has announced the appointment of Raj Chakraborty as the new Regional Executive Chef, joining the team at Macdonald Compleat Angler Hotel in Marlow. Chakraborty will head up the luxury hotel’s three AA Rosette Riverside Restaurant, as well as oversee the food operations at the three other hotels in the region.
Raj, who describes his cooking as ‘simple yet elegant while always aiming to make the most of the ingredient’s natural flavours’, will work with the established teams at Macdonald Compleat Angler, Windsor, Berystede and Frimley Hall to develop new menus, provide memorable Macdonald breakfast experience and world class afternoon teas.
Raj has previously worked with seven Michelin starred chefs who appeared on BBC’s Great British Menu and was executive chef during the opening of the five-star St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. Born in Kolkata, India, and moving to Britain at a young age, Raj’s cooking is influenced by his parents’ love of fresh, local food.
Raj said: “My mum always cooked with fresh food as my dad wouldn’t eat anything unless he knew where it was from. I grew up with an ethos of eating fresh, healthy and ethically sourced food where I went out of my way to meet the producer in person.
“Food is art for me. A plate of food is a creation and I get to be the artist. I am passionate about cooking with only the best-quality ingredients and Macdonald Hotels is well renowned for the provenance of its food.
“It is a true honour to be appointed as Regional Executive Chef of the M25 region and was just too good an opportunity to miss.”
Simon Jackson, Group Sales Director and Chief Exectuive of Macdonald Resorts said: “Raj is an outstanding chef and we are very excited to have him join our team We are really looking forward to welcoming our regular guests as well as new ones to experience his fantastic dishes. Raj will be working closely with the teams here and our suppliers to develop new menus and fresh ideas for our restaurants.”
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.