Oddfellows Hotels has announced Ross Chatburn as head chef at boutique hotel, Oddfellows On The Park.
Ross joins the team at the park side boutique hotel from Hotel Gotham in Manchester, where he held the reins for over 3 years. Before that he opened Tea42 in Manchester and worked as a sous chef at The Bells in Peover.
Ross joins the design-led hotel collection, which prides itself on restoring properties using the history of the building and the location’s narrative as inspiration, to head up the entire chef operation from events and occasions to taking the helm at The Galloping Major restaurant.
The Galloping Major was named after the nickname of the characterful previous owner of Bruntwood Hall who was so-called as he was most often found on horseback when the park was run as a private stud. The Galloping Major was responsible for adding the ballroom where the hotel’s destination restaurant now sits.
Ross said: ‘Oddfellows On The Park is an exciting move for me. I’m working within an independent hotel where I have the opportunity to put my mark on the menus and create some amazing dishes, inspired by the parkland setting.
‘I grew up near Bruntwood Park and spent many happy hours here as a child. I’ll be using the 120 acres of parkland I know so well to inspire my menus, not only through foraging but by creating dishes stimulated by it. I have a pigeon dish set to appear soon which perfectly encapsulates the colours of the park in all its autumn glory – with browns, reds, oranges and purple. I’m also in the process of creating a fir-needle vinegar.’
Jonathan Slater of Oddfellows Hotels said: ‘Ross is a passionate chef with a brilliant track record within the Manchester restaurant scene. We are delighted to welcome him to our Oddfellows family and are already tremendously impressed with his creativity.’