Two new appointments have strengthened the team at The Northumberland Arms at Felton.
Adam Westgarth has stepped into the role of head chef, while Clair Potts has joined the hotel as its new general manager.
With a background in fine dining, award-winning chef Adam has worked in the hospitality industry for more than two decades at some of the region’s top hotels including Wynyard Hall, Otterburn Castle and Matfen Hall, along with Northcote near Blackburn.
Having worked up to Michelin star and four AA rosette levels, Adam is keen to bring his fine dining skills and new flavours to The Northumberland Arms, while staying true to the pub environment. He has wasted no time in building relationships with game keepers and suppliers in the region, to support North East businesses and place emphasis on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in his menus.
“I’ve worked in a corporate environment in a hotel group for the last five years and while I gained some fantastic experience, I missed being hands on with the food and couldn’t wait to get back in the kitchen,” said Adam.
“The Northumberland Arms has huge potential and seemed like a great fit. I’m currently playing around with ingredients for upcoming special occasions and working on building the team.”
New general manager Clair has more than 25 years of experience, having started her career in hospitality when she was just 16.
With an extensive knowledge in all areas of the industry – having worked her way up from kitchen staff to managerial roles – she is looking forward to a new challenge at The Northumberland Arms.
“It seemed like a good time in my career to make a change and when the role at The Northumberland Arms came up, I couldn’t say no,” said Clair.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting stuck into work at the venue and we have some really fantastic plans in the pipeline for the coming months.”
