Andrew Watts joins The Plumicorn at The Tawny hotel

Previously group executive chef at Hawkstone Hall and Gardens in Shropshire, where he was responsible for setting up the kitchen from scratch during the property’s £5m refurbishment, Watts will create a menu ‘that speaks of Staffordshire and the Peak District’ with ingredients sourced from the hotel’s own kitchen garden as well as the neighbouring area.

Dishes om the winter menu will include pigeon Breast with hispi cabbage, hazelnut and blackberries; baked celeriac with mushroom tea, pickled celeriac, yeast and mushroom crumb; venison with maple, quince, baby turnip, pearl barley and chocolate; stonebass with brown shrimp, dill, potato and samphire sauce; and toffee apple featuring roasted apple, cinnamon crumb and salted caramel.

“I am excited and inspired to join the team at The Plumicorn. The restaurant’s 2023 agenda remains in keeping with the hotel’s longstanding emphasis on sustainable, local produce, but guests can expect a wider variety of food to choose from next year, with some unexpected twists,” he says.

“You couldn’t ask for a better location to be inspired by nature than The Tawny’s 70-acre estate, and by carefully selecting ingredients that celebrate each season, we hope that all menus at the hotel, from breakfast to lunch, dinner and afternoon tea will reflect this.’’

Alongside The Plumicorn, The Tawny is home to more casual dining restaurant The Feather Lounge, which serves a range of wood-fired pizzas, tapas and a selection of charcuterie boards and flatbreads. 

It also has The Perch, sitting above the main dining room at The Plumicorn, a dining space for private dining and afternoon tea.