Less than a year after joining Whatley Manor near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, executive chef Niall Keating has been awarded a Michelin star for The Dining Room, in the Michelin UK & Ireland Guide 2018 (announced today, 2 October 2017).
With a culinary pedigree spanning the USA (at Michelin three-starred Benu in San Francisco), Sat Bains Restaurant (two Michelin stars in Nottingham), and at one star Kong Hans Kaelder in Copenhagen, 26-year old Niall is a very focused young professional. After settling into Whatley Manor, he launched his own style of tasting menus in The Dining Room in February 2017, and is thrilled that Michelin have recognised the restaurant so quickly. He has brought a fresh vigour to the entire food programme at Whatley Manor, with a modern British cooking style that also draws on his international experience and diverse cuisines, including hints of Japanese and Korean.
Niall praised both his kitchen and front-of-house colleagues, and enthused: “I am incredibly proud of my team’s achievements in such a short space of time – winning a Michelin star in the 2018 guide, and continuing Whatley Manor’s relationship with the most respected industry guide in the world, is testament to the non-stop focus, hard work and determination we instilled from day one.”
Sue Williams, General Manager of Whatley Manor, has known Niall since he was a commis chef at the Bath Priory Hotel, and she saw a glimmer of talent then in 2010. They stayed in touch in the intervening years, and when Sue took over the GM role at the hotel, she knew that Niall had the same vision and also the skills to take Whatley Manor forward on the restaurant front. She explains: “What a stellar year for Whatley! We are thrilled that the strong food story continues on. When Niall and I entered into conversations about working together, his exact words were – I will not let you down. He has more than fulfilled his side of the bargain in less than a year. He is an extremely talented and original culinary voice.”
Full address: Easton Grey, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 0RB
Reservations – 01666-822 888 Website – www.whatleymanor.com
Twitter – @whatley_manor Instagram – @whatleymanor
For further information on Whatley Manor, contact:
Network London PR – Maureen Mills, Tom Rogers or Jess Day
Tel – 020-8947 4474, or Email – info@networklondonpr.com
or
IDeal PR, Anthea Yabsley
0208 578 6777 anthea.yabsley@ideal-pr.co.uk
Whatley Manor, Eloise Gordon
01666 827 086 eloise@whatleymanor.com
