Yorkshire country house estate Bowcliffe Hall has announced two senior appointments to its hospitality team.
Simon Crannage, previously executive chef of Swinton Park, joins as director of excellence, and Andy Lawson, whose previous positions include head chef at Malmaison and chef/tutor at Bettys Cookery School in Harrogate, joins as executive head chef.
Bowcliffe Hall, near Wetherby, has become increasingly popular for corporate and private events venue following the completion of serial entrepreneur and Bowcliffe custodian, Jonathan Turner’s £6m restoration ‘masterplan’.
The programme restored the 200-year-old Hall to its former glory by converting redundant buildings into prime office space, creating a private members club, ‘The Drivers’ Club’ and building the centerpiece Blackburn Wing, an aeroplane wing-shaped copper and glass conference and events centre nestled high in some of the estate’s 35 acres of woodland.
Since the restoration, the Estate has hosted events for leading brands, including Bremont, Bentley, Audi, Haribo, Unilever, Grant Thornton, Barclays and Arco.
Commenting on the new appointments, Turner said: “We’re set on making Bowcliffe unrivalled as a venue for corporate and private events. We already have the best facilities in Yorkshire, and a team who deliver everything to the highest possible standard. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I place a high value on supporting the ‘Yorkshire pound’, investing in the best tradespeople and businesses in the region. Both Andy and Simon are local, having built up their experience across the UK before returning to the area. They’re also very ‘Bowcliffe’ – providing the best to every single person who rolls through the entrance gates. I’m confident that they are yet another great Yorkshire investment for us.”
