New executive chef promises internationally inspired food at refurbished restaurant

One of Rutland’s finest venues has designs on becoming a go-to destination for food and drink following its major refurbishment.
Barnsdale Hall HotelBarnsdale Hall Hotel
Barnsdale Hall Hotel

Following several months of lockdown refurbishments, Barnsdale Hall Hotel, a beautiful waterside retreat located in the heart of the UK’s smallest county, has appointed an experienced Executive Head Chef to lead its culinary team post-lockdown.

In the role, Sumit Chakrabarty will be bringing not only delicious, internationally inspired food to the table but also a plethora of skills and experience to reinvigorate the hotel restaurant.

The new position is an exciting next step in Sumit’s successful career, which has seen him work with prestigious brands such as The Oberoi Group and Carnival Cruise Line, where he worked alongside Michelin-star chef Georges Blanc.

Sumit ChakrabartySumit Chakrabarty
Sumit Chakrabarty

As well as serving delicacies in renowned establishments such as Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, Sumit has prepared dishes for some of the world’s most prominent figures - for example, Bill Clinton when he was the President of the United States of America.

Inherently ambitious and with a determination to be a leading and successful chef, Sumit’s career took off not long after he was awarded the position of Head Chef at the Smith’s Hotel in Gretna Green, Scotland. Under his leadership, the hotel received two AA rosettes and Sumit was highly commended as a Rising Star Chef in the prestigious 2008 Hotel Scotland Awards.

More recently, Sumit has continued to build upon his vast range of culinary experiences by venturing around the UK, working at luxury hotels in Cheltenham, Shropshire and Cambridge.

Now, Sumit will be bringing his wealth of expertise and knowledge to deliver a fresh outlook to the culinary department at Barnsdale Hall Hotel.

Discussing his appointment, Sumit said: “I feel very excited to become a part of the culinary team at Barnsdale Hall Hotel. I am currently working with the hotel on building a strong kitchen team that, I hope, will inspire each other’s creativity.”

The hotel restaurant, which is currently welcoming guests for alfresco dining on its sun terrace, is undergoing an extensive refurbishment due for completion in July alongside impressive updates made to the main hall, reception, bar and bedrooms under the ownership of the Patel family, who co-founded the Cofresh snack foods empire,

“Once the new restaurant is completed, it will be a fantastic time in all of our careers to establish Barnsdale Hall Hotel as the go-to destination for food and drink. I am hoping to achieve this by making changes to the food offering so that we can serve International cuisine in a refined way,” Sumit, who specialises in classical French cuisine, continued.

Welcoming Sumit to the team, John Higham, director and general manager of Barnsdale Hall Hotel, added: “We are delighted to have Sumit joining the team. He is a true visionary in his field, and we feel very fortunate to have him leading the kitchen staff through this exciting period of change for the hotel and as we emerge from the pandemic. We can’t wait to see how his fresh perspective will reinvigorate the hotel’s food offering, providing a refined, international twist, which is sure to be loved by locals and visitors alike.”