Local man Neil Wrigley has successfully worked his way up the ranks to become head chef at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill at DoubleTree by Hilton, Cadbury House in Congresbury.
Neil has worked at the four-star hotel in North Somerset for the past six years, starting as an apprentice in the kitchen before being made a chef within the events department.
He soon became head chef in events and has now been appointed as the head chef at the exclusive Marco Pierre White eatery.
Neil, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, trained at Weston College, studying Pro Cooking and undertaking an NVQ course in Hospitality Management.
He said: “Working in the kitchens at DoubleTree by Hilton, Cadbury House has taught me a lot about catering at a very high standard. It is a four-star boutique hotel so the food always has to reflect that and I love creating dishes that people expect to find in venues like ours.
“My passion has always been for food and cooking so it’s a huge honour for me to now be head chef at such a fantastic restaurant and to be working under a culinary legend like Marco Pierre White.
“The thing I love most about my job is creating the interesting and delicious seasonal dishes for our specials menus. It gives me the chance to be creative and play around with flavours. I am very lucky that at Marco Pierre White’s I am able to use the best fresh local produce.”
Food and beverage manager Sarah Warren said: “It is fantastic that Neil has worked his way up from an apprentice to the head chef position. His flair and creativity as well as his skill in the kitchen is proving a massive hit with customers already and we are looking forward to seeing what he’s going to do next!”
Opened in September 2010, the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill has already established itself as one of the region’s premier restaurants.
Now managed under the expert eye of Mimmo Pomo, the Congresbury restaurant offers quality food, top-class service and a relaxed atmosphere.
A great advocate of locally produced, ethically reared and grown ingredients, Marco sees that much of the meat served is sourced from Somerset farms and his fish from nearby Devon and Cornwall. Even West Country cheeses and home county beers (Butcombe Blond) and ciders (Gaymers and Thatchers Gold) make an appearance.
For those not wanting a t-bone, rib eye or sirloin steak there’s a range of grilled and roast meats and fish mainboards to tempt every tastebud.
Neil continued: “A common misconception about our restaurant is that it is very expensive and we only offer steak and chips. In fact we do some fantastic lunchtime and evening offers and the menu includes everything from soup, salads and risotto to chicken and leek pie and sticky toffee pudding.
“Our Sunday Lunches are also fantastic, for just £19.50 for a three-course Sunday Lunch it is excellent value and the food is outstanding if I do say so myself!”
