Breadsall Priory Hotel and Country Club has recently appointed a new Executive Chef to oversee and manage the hotel’s catering offerings. Sathiskumar Devadas joined the Derbyshire based Marriott hotel in September 2016, and is proving a hit with diners at the hotel’s Priory Restaurant, as well as wedding and corporate events’ guests.
The father-of-two, who is originally from Chennai (the erstwhile Madras) in India, has previously held a number of senior roles on lavish cruise ships and in other luxury hotels, including Principal Hayley in Stratford-upon-Avon and will be carrying with him a wealth of experience and skill. This includes multicultural cooking influences and knowledge of some of the most stringent practices pertaining to exemplary kitchen hygiene; an aspect which Sathiskumar considers of maximum importance.
Sathiskumar has extensive plans to improve the already exceptional dining offerings at Breadsall, and aims to do so by expanding his kitchen team. It is hoped that this extra support will aid Sathiskumar’s mission to make Breadsall Priory an unforgettable dining destination for local people, as well as guests visiting for business and pleasure.
In line with this aim, a la carte meals will be gaining more prominence. There will be no tricky and complex dishes; Sathiskumar will instead be working to create and master good, honest, and simple food, using local ingredients and produce, at all times – no matter how busy the hotel is. Inclusivity is also high on Sathiskumar’s list of priorities, as he will be adapting food offerings to provide more options for visitors with restrictive dietary requirements.
Commenting on his recent appointment, Sathiskumar said: “I am really excited to be heading up Breadsall Priory’s kitchen – it is a huge honour for me. There are great expectations placed on Marriott, given the company’s reputation for luxury and exceptional standards, and I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge. I didn’t always plan to be a chef; I originally intended to go to college to study engineering, but fell in love with the hospitality and catering industry during my hotel management course. Since then, my ambition has been to be at the helm of a kitchen one day, and I am so happy to have achieved this dream.
“I’ve already been able to cater for some really exciting events at Breadsall, including 2 golf captain meals and Christmas and New Year; so far, I’m getting some fantastic feedback. It has already been mentioned that Christmas 2016 was the best Christmas ever at Breadsall, in terms of catering, and I am thrilled to have been a part of this. My motto has always been ‘good food + clean kitchen = happy customers’, so I’m putting in many hours to make sure that we are providing the best experience for our guests, and cannot wait to keep on growing our menus and offerings.”