The Balmoral appoints Mark Donald as Head Chef of Michelin-starred Number One (United Kingdom)
Edinburgh’s culinary landmark welcomes internationally trained chef as he chooses The Balmoral to make his homecoming |
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The Balmoral appoints Mark Donald as Head Chef of Michelin-starred Number One (United Kingdom)
Edinburgh’s culinary landmark welcomes internationally trained chef as he chooses The Balmoral to make his homecoming |
Category: Europe - United Kingdom - Careers -
Appointments
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2019-04-19
The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte hotel in Edinburgh, is proud to announce Mark Donald as the new Head Chef of Number One - the hotel’s one Michelin star restaurant. The Scottish born chef’s homecoming follows a 13 year stint abroad honing his skills on the international culinary scene working with some of the most respected chefs in the industry.
Mark joins Number One, named after the hotel’s iconic address 1 Princes Street, from Sydney, Australia where he was Head Chef at Bentley Restaurant and Bar. Prior to this he worked at a number of internationally renowned two Michelin star establishments including senior roles at Claude Bosi’s flagship Hibiscus restaurant in London and at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in Perthshire. Mark also spent a significant stage at Noma in Copenhagen – the San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant at that time.
Mark oversees a team of 13 chefs in Number One and has created an innovative new menu inspired by Scotland and flavoured by his and the team’s international travels. New dishes on the menu include oysters with smoked kipper and parsley; hand dived scallops with Iberico pork and black garlic ketchup and Scottish wood pigeon, green juniper and blood and potato cake. An exciting new partnership has placed Highland Wagyu beef on the menu for the first time at Number One, served with beetroot and smoked bone marrow.
Commenting on the new appointment, The Balmoral’s Executive Chef Jeff Bland said:
“Mark brings a fantastic grounding in fine-dining having worked at some incredible world renowned establishments. His approach to fusing the best of Scottish produce with international flavours brings a fresh new style to Number One. Mark will take Number One to new heights as he respects the restaurant’s ethos of continually innovating and surprising our guests.”
Mark added: “After travelling and working in some incredible locations, I felt it was time to come home to beautiful Scotland. The Balmoral is such an iconic property steeped in history and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a fantastic team in the heart of Edinburgh.”
Mark and his team have also developed relationships with many local producers to elevate the different offering. Together with his pastry team, he has created individual bread loaves using local East Lothian barley served with Perthshire apple vinegar, Highland rapeseed oil and Mark’s home-made cultured butter with cream from Kelso dairy farms. Standout desserts include Pink Lady apple tart, Amedei chocolate mille feuille and blood orange, pumpkin and buttermilk.
World class Scottish hospitality is at the heart of Number One. Guests also have the chance to experience the team’s inherent fun side with a final treat in the form of a sweetie trolley. Enjoy a rhubarb and custard macaron, foie gras chocolate truffle or a traditional piece of Scottish tablet with a coffee and a dram.
Number One Michelin-starred Number One offers contemporary dining coupled with world class Scottish hospitality. Head Chef Mark Donald and his team have developed a new menu with dishes inspired by Scotland and flavoured by the team’s international travels. Number One was named in the 2018 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards as one of the Top 10 Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the UK and retains one Michelin star and four AA Rosettes.
Designed by Rocco Forte Hotels’ Director of Design, Olga Polizzi, the rich red lacquered walls in Number One are adorned by art in the form of a large format triptych print of a Scottish oak tree by Adam Ellis and artwork from the Royal College of Art in London. Standout design elements include striking dove grey wool banquettes with golden yellow leather accents, elegant Lyndon Albany chairs with distinctive button backs and solid timber oak flooring throughout the restaurant.
The Balmoral Many hotels claim to have landmarks on their doorstep, few can say their doorstep is a landmark. The Balmoral is a grand railway hotel located at Edinburgh's most prestigious address, No 1 Princes Street. The Balmoral offers 188 opulent suites and contemporary rooms. Excellent cuisine is guaranteed in the Michelin-starred Number One restaurant or Brasserie Prince by Alain Roux. Afternoon Tea is served in Palm Court and the hotel boasts a collection of over 500 single malt whiskies at SCOTCH.
Rocco Forte Hotels
Established by Sir Rocco Forte and sister, Olga Polizzi in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels is a collection of 11 individual hotels and resorts. All of the hotels are landmarks, both old and new, occupying magnificent buildings in exceptional locations. Led by a family who has been in hospitality for four generations, the hotels are united by their distinctive approach to service ensuring guests experience the best of the cities and surrounding areas. Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; Verdura Resort, Sicily; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; Brown’s Hotel, London; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Assila Hotel, Jeddah. Future openings: Rome in 2019, Shanghai in 2019
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