Derek Johnstone to oversee three restaurants at Rusacks St Andrews

The 120-room hotel, which overlooks the 18th green at the world famous golf venue’s Old Course has undergone a major renovation and a transformation of its food and beverage offer, which are developed and operated by White Rabbit Projects, whose hospitality portfolio includes Lina Stores and Kricket.

Johnstone - whose cooking CV includes time with the Roux family and De Karmeliet in Belgium and DO in Italy - is set to open all three restaurants next month as executive chef.

His flagship will be 18, a destination rooftop restaurant that will specialise in high quality Scottish produce cooked on a robata grill and offer panoramic view across the Old Course, West Sands and the North Sea. 

The ground floor will house The Bridge, a more casual all-day dining option which continues the theme of championing Scottish produce. 

Completing the new offering is the One Under Bar, an intimate, underground bar serving pub favourites, beers, whiskies and cocktails. 

Johnstone became the inaugural winner of BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals in 2008 and has since been twice runner-up in the National Chef of the Year as well as being shortlisted for Scottish Chef of the Year 2021 CIS Excellence Awards.

Johnstone joins Rusacks St Andrews as executive chef from Borthwick Castle, where he was also executive chef.

“My philosophy of cooking beautiful Scottish produce - showing it the respect it deserves and letting the food do the talking - will run through the menus at 18, The Bridge and One Under Bar," he says. 

"I’m delighted to join the team at Rusacks St Andrews and look forward making it one of the best hotels in the country to eat and drink at.” 

Part of the Marine & Lawn collection, which is owned by Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, Rusacks St Andrews will be joined by two additional Scottish golf properties: Marine North Berwick later in September and Marine Troon when it relaunches and joins the collection in spring 2022.