Meet our new Executive Head Chef, Ross Bott

Adnams has appointed Ross Bott as Executive Head Chef at The Swan, Southwold, following a major investment to transform the hotel into a world-class destination.

Ross will oversee The Swan’s two new restaurants, The Still Room and The Tap Room.

The Still Room will offer three tasting menus entitled Fish, Meat and Veg which will showcase the finest ingredients through Ross’s take on modern British cooking. Diners can choose to eat one of the tasting menus, or pick any of the individual dishes as a starter or main course sized plate to create a bespoke dining experience.

The Tap Room will offer a more relaxed dining experience and is the place to go for well-crafted and wholesome food that retains the attention to detail that runs through The Swan. Both restaurants will feature the full range of Adnams’ award-winning beers, wines and spirits.

Ross joins Adnams having most recently worked alongside renowned chef Atul Kochhar as his Head Chef, helping him to establish his new Hawkyns Restaurant & Bar in Amersham earlier this year. This follows a career that began at the three Michelin Star restaurant La Tante Claire, under legendary French chef Pierre Koffmann.

Ross also helped to set-up fine dining restaurant Paris House in Milton Keynes before moving to Marlow to work as sous chef to Adam Simmonds, of Great British Menu fame, at Danesfield House. At the Macdonald Compleat Angler, Ross and his team were set the task of getting the restaurant Three Rosettes and did so in just 11 months.

Ross Bott comments: “I’m really excited to get started at The Swan and be part of such an ambitious project to create the best hotel and restaurant in the area. The Still Room and The Tap Room will each offer something different but at the heart of both will be a commitment to providing the best food and drink experience possible.”

Ross is keen to put his own stamp on the menus at The Swan with an approach that puts the ingredients front and centre, he said: “It’s all about your relationship with your ingredients. If you treat a piece of meat, fish or veg with the love and respect it deserves then you will get the best out of it. For me, that’s what being a chef is all about.”

Ross’s approach marries cutting-edge techniques with his foundation in classic cookery.

“We want to put the best plate of food possible in front of our guests. We are lucky to be on the doorstep of some genuinely world-class producers in Suffolk that will sit side-by-side with the best ingredients from across the country and beyond” he adds.

The kitchen will be taking in whole carcasses that will be broken down to use every part of the animal. This will be both an appreciation of the produce and a method of teaching the team to develop key culinary skills, something that is important to Ross.

He explains: “I want each member of our team to grow and develop together, taking on new ideas and techniques that will help them develop their own skills.”

Lyndon Barrett-Scott, General Manager at The Swan, is thrilled to welcome Ross Bott to the hotel, saying: “The Swan will provide impeccable service that gives visitors a truly memorable stay and having Ross on board ensures this experience extends into the dining room and onto the plate.”

The Still Room and The Tap Room are set to open alongside the hotel on 12th October 2017. You can book now for stays from 12th October.