Celebrated chef Paul Nicholson has taken up the role of head chef at Rockliffe Hall’s flagship Orangery restaurant.
Throughout his career, Paul has worked at some of the country’s finest restaurants including the Yorke Arms in the Yorkshire Dales, Storrs Hall in the Lake District, and Lords of the Manor and The Dial House in the Cotswolds.
He moves to Teesside from The Clock House restaurant in Ripley, Surrey, where he has retained a Michelin star and three AA rosettes since joining the team in 2020.
Originally from Bath, Paul first trained as a chef through an apprenticeship at the Hilton Hotel before joining the brigade at Bath Priory as a commis pastry chef, which was his first experience of Michelin-level cooking.
He is relocating to the North East with his wife and daughter, and said: “The Rockliffe Hall estate has so much to offer, particularly the walled kitchen gardens which were redeveloped earlier this year. I’m excited about working with the Orangery team and the array of ingredients that are readily available to forage in the local area, coupled with the excellent produce that is available right on the doorstep.”
Jason Adams, managing director at the five-star resort, added: “This is such an exciting time for Rockliffe Hall. We have so many plans in the pipeline as we enter 2023. Rockliffe is one of the highest-rated hotels in England, and both Paul and I are deeply committed to making the Orangery restaurant one of the best dining venues in the country. Paul is an incredible chef and I can’t wait to see his ideas and creativity come to fruition as he settles in to the team.”
