Executive Chef

29.05.2024 - 13:03 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

Darron Bunn joins Gleneagles as the new Executive Chef, bringing his extensive Michelin-starred experience to spearhead a new culinary era for the prestigious Perthshire hotel and sporting estate.

Gleneagles has appointed Darron Bunn as its new Executive Chef, heralding a new culinary chapter for the iconic Perthshire hotel and sporting estate. Bunn, who first trained as a Chef de Partie under Nico Ladenis at the three Michelin-starred Ninety Park Lane before being mentored by Marco Pierre White for six years and rising through the ranks of his group, has taken the helm of culinary strategy and operations in Gleneagles’ ten kitchens, covering eight bars and restaurants, private dining and room service.

With previous roles including Group Executive Chef at Daylesford Organic and Goodwood Estate, Executive Chef at Alfred Dunhill Private Members’ Club and Bovey Castle, and Chef Patron of The Greyhound Michelin-starred pub in Hampshire, Bunn is now responsible for Gleneagles’ kitchen brigade of over 100 chefs and 40 stewards.

Commenting on the appointment of the Executive Chef, he said: “To be given the chance to make my mark on Gleneagles and take my place in its story is a career defining moment.  Taking all the skills I’ve gathered over the past 32 years and putting them into practice here is a chance of a lifetime – it will test me and I’m seizing that challenge with excitement.”

“I’m taking the reins of a successful and iconic culinary destination. The food at Gleneagles has maintained its place on the culinary map for generations and has already been on an incredible journey of improvement over the past five years. I’m standing on the shoulders of the century of chefs who’ve walked these corridors before me and I feel the weight of that history.”

Commenting on how he’s looking forward to enhancing the guest experience through his menu development, Bunn said: “People’s tastes and interests are ever-evolving and hospitality businesses need to be ready to adapt. There’s a much greater interest now not just in food provenance and sustainability, but in health and wellbeing. That’s where the future of gastronomy lies. 

“Nobody wants to come to a five-star hotel to be lectured about healthy eating or sustainability but many want the option to make responsible choices.  Those types of lifestyle preferences need to be reframed so that vegan dishes, vegetarian options and foods which support good gut health are not simply a footnote at the end of a menu full of meat options, but are woven unapologetically into the heart of all our dining experiences.”

Gleneagles’ Managing Director, Conor O’Leary, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Darron, who will greatly enhance our team and support us in the delivery of