Former head chef Austen Shaw has stepped up to the role of general manager at County Durham hotel Headlam Hall – replacing David Jackson, who made the same move almost 30 years ago.
Austen has taken over as GM after two stints as head chef at the 17th Century hotel near Darlington.
Joining the family-run hotel in 1999 as a teenager in the role of chef de partie, Austen worked his way up under David’s guidance and was promoted to head chef in 2003. Keen to explore new opportunities, he left in 2009 to launch his own business, and spent a few years working at Darlington patisserie Robineau. In 2018, he returned to Headlam Hall as joint head chef before taking up the role full-time. Last summer he was offered the opportunity to become GM when David announced his retirement.
Austen has worked closely with David and business coach Teresa Peters over the last few months to prepare for the switch, and officially began his new role earlier this year.
“This has always been my goal, I’ve always wanted more, to seek the next challenge,” said Austen. “I came here in 1999 and even though I left for a bit, Headlam Hall has been my life.
“I met my wife, Kate, here. She was the restaurant manager at the time, and we’ve been together 25 years. When I was asked to come back in 2018 by David, I knew it was the right thing to do.
“Last year, I sat down with the family and they asked if I would be interested in taking on the role of GM as David had expressed his interest in retiring… And here we are.
“It’s a new challenge and I’m enjoying it. I have lots of fresh ideas and I’m really looking forward to putting my stamp on the hotel, while continuing to keep those wonderful family values at its heart.”
Austen’s career has followed a similar pattern to David’s, who arrived in 1989, initially to cover the Sunday and Monday shifts in the kitchen. When the head chef left shortly after, David found himself promoted to the position, which he held until 2001, when he moved to part-time hours to work on another project. In 2007, he returned as operations director and has remained at the helm ever since.
“I remember Austen coming in for a job interview and it was really nice to see him work his way up and become head chef,” said David. “It was even better to be able to get him back many years later, when he returned with even more knowledge and experience.
“Now it’s time to hand over the reins. It’s good to know I’m passing them on to someone who is as committed and passionate about Headlam Hall as I am.
“I’ll still be here on a Sunday. Sunday’s are a bit of a social gathering and I really enjoy them. It’s almost like I’ve come full circle, but I don’t think I could ever stay away totally.”
Thomas Robinson, owner of Headlam Hall, added: “It’s almost bittersweet – we’re thrilled to be filling the general manager position with an existing member of our team, but it’s also the end of an era as David steps down.
“David has been a respected and well-loved member of our team for the past 30 years, but we have every confidence that Austen is the perfect fit. His knowledge of the industry and our family-run business make him the ideal person to replace David, and we look forward to continuing the exceptional standards which we’ve become accustomed to.”
Following Austen’s promotion, Richard Allen has been promoted from sous chef to head chef.
