Rockwater appoints group executive chef

A restaurant brand dubbed the South Coast's Soho House has announced the appointment of a new group executive chef.

Rockwater, which currently operates a venue in Hove and Rockwater Village in Branksome, Poole, is preparing to open a third site in Sandbanks this summer. Josh Deacon, former executive head chef at The Stratford Hotel in east London and head chef of the Rail House Café in the City of Westminster, will oversee all kitchen activity across the estate.

Deacon has 12 years of experience as a professional chef. Classically trained in French cuisine, he cut his teeth in high-end resorts and fine dining restaurants of Michelin star standard. He has also learnt from celebrity chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay OBE at the Savoy Grill and Maze. 

"I'm excited to be moving into my new position as group executive chef at Rockwater," says Deacon. "I have a passion for championing local producers and believe in using the best ingredients to create delicious, seasonally driven menus. Rockwater venues are set in the most spectacular locations, with the sea just a stone's throw away from each, and this presents incredible opportunities for me and my kitchen teams to create a destination dining experience."

The growth of Rockwater

In his new role, the chef will lead menu development and engineering across all sites, which currently support a 70-strong kitchen team, set to increase to 100 with the launch of the third venue later this year. He will also work closely with the operations and management teams to create new concepts for future restaurants. 

Luke Davis, CEO of the group, comments: "It's great to welcome Josh to the Rockwater family as group executive chef. He joins us at an exciting time with the impending opening of our Sandbanks venue later this year. His extensive experience will further enhance the dining offerings across our venues and we look forward to the culinary journey ahead under his guidance."

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