Simon Rogan appoints new Henrock head chef

Mark McCabe has been announced as the new head chef at one of Simon Rogan's acclaimed Lake District restaurants. 

McCabe now steers the kitchen at Henrock by Simon Rogan, situated within Linthwaite House Hotel, which overlooks Lake Windermere. Henrock forms part of Rogan's hospitality estate, which includes sister restaurants L'Enclume, Rogan & Co and Aulis in nearby Cartmel.

The chef's latest appointment follows a four-year stint as chef-owner of The Ethicurean restaurant in Bristol, which closed its doors in the autumn. Before that, McCabe was part of the team at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's River Cottage in Dorset, after training in kitchens in Paris and Lancashire. 

Henrock style

At Henrock, the menu is inspired by Rogan's global travels, particularly to his restaurants in Hong Kong, Malta and Thailand, but aims to use locally sourced ingredients. McCabe will work with John Rowland, manager of Our Farm by Rogan, and Liam Fitzpatrick, the farm's head chef, to grow and preserve a selection of tropical plants and exotic species.

McCabe takes over the position from Cillian Hennessy, who will move into the role of development chef at Aulis. Hennessy will be in charge of researching and refining new dishes for Aulis and the rest of Rogan's restaurants in the Lakes. 

Both McCabe and Rogan will oversee the day-to-day running of Henrock, while the hotel's breakfast and all-day food offering, including the more informal bar and conservatory menu, will be overseen separately by Gerald Van Der Walt, head chef of Linthwaite House Hotel, part of the Leeu Collection of hotels. 

"As a chef, I have always been compelled and inspired by nature, seasonality and sustainability, and so the Simon Rogan way of sourcing and cooking aligns so closely with my own personal ethos," says McCabe. "It feels like the perfect continuation of the work I have dedicated my career to so far. Naturally, I am most looking forward to working with the ingredients sourced directly from Simon's farm – it's a true luxury to have access to produce of this quality and diversity, not to mention being located in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. I can't wait to be a part of the Henrock brigade."

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