Abbey Hotel appoints new Head Chef

Ex-Michelin Starred chef, Chris Staines has been appointed by Bath’s
Abbey Hotel as Head Chef and Food and Beverage Director. The
appointment marks the first step in a £1.5 million modernisation
programme recently announced by the hotel’s new owners, husband and
wife team Ian and Christa Taylor.

Staines, who was previously Head Chef at Foliage at London’s five-star
Mandarin Oriental hotel, will oversee all food and beverage operations
at the 60-bedroom hotel with the aim being to revitalise the hotel’s
entire food offering, transforming both the menu and over time, the
look and feel of the restaurant. The ultimate vision is to create a
“stand alone” restaurant which will carve its own identity on the
Bath dining scene.

He joins the property from Heckfield Place in Hampshire, where Staines
held the position of Executive Chef. Prior to that, Staines was tasked
with revamping the Food and Beverage operations at the Feversham Arms
in Yorkshire which recently achieved its third AA rosette.

At the Abbey, Staines will work closely with Ian Taylor to deliver the
vision of creating a modern, informal, bistro-style food offering with
a key focus on simple cooking using high quality ingredients.

Taylor’s ultimate aim is to create a food and beverage offering that
will predominantly serve the local community. He said: “When I took
over the Abbey, my plan was to make some changes to the hotel to make
it more attractive to local people as much as to the tourist market.
The restaurant is an ideal starting point. With Chris’s involvement,
I’m confident the bar and restaurant at the Abbey have the potential
to become an affordable “go-to” destination for people living in
Bath whether they are looking for after work drinks and nibbles or
something more substantial.”

Staines added: “There’s a huge opportunity in Bath for a
mid-market restaurant that offers gastronomic quality with a relaxed,
cool and contemporary feel. Bath and the surrounding areas have
fantastic suppliers and I’m keen to start working with them to
create an offering that people living in Bath will be genuinely
excited about.”

Staines held a Michelin star at Foliage for seven years, leaving the
Mandarin Oriental in 2009. He previously worked with Marco Pierre
White at the three-Michelin-starred Oak Room. Staines is due to start
at The Abbey in early March.