Lana de Savary, owner of the Old Swan & Minster Mill in the Cotswold village of Minster Lovell, has appointed Benjamin Xavier as the new head chef.
Benjamin has been in the industry for over ten years and during his career has worked in some of London’s most prestigious restaurants including Tom Aikens in Chelsea. He also brings international experience, having worked in 5 star retreat, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco and most recently Movenpick Hotel in Dubai where he worked as Chef De Cuisine. Benjamin started his career with the Fifteen Foundation after being accepted onto the training programme as an apprentice. The programme provided Benjamin with a great foundation from which to start his career, helping him to hone his skills and define flavours.
Tom Aikens said of Benjamin: ‘During his time at Tom Aikens, Benjamin was very dedicated to his work and the restaurant. He was always asking questions and was keen to learn as much as he could. He was a pleasure to have in the kitchen and he always worked to the best of his ability.’
At the heart of the Old Minster village and with a history going back almost 600 years, the Old Swan & Minster Mill couldn’t be more quintessentially English; it’s offering the perfect spot to escape the city and explore the Cotswolds. Owned by boutique inn specialists, the de Savary family, the hotel has a strong reputation among food-lovers and is renowned for its focus on locally sourced ingredients. Along with a large vegetable and fruit garden which supplies the kitchen with home-grown produce the site has bee hives which sit amongst the 40 acres of wild-flower meadows. The hotel’s chefs also make good use of the beautiful River Windrush and its rich quarry of American crayfish and trout, which are featured on the menu when they are in season.
General Manager Patrick Jones says, ‘We’re really pleased to welcome Benjamin to the de Savary family. He is a very talented chef who brings with him a wealth of experience and we are certain that Benjamin is the chef to help us achieve the great ambitions we have for the restaurant and create an exciting menu for both locals and visitors to enjoy.’
Ben will be taking over from current head chef David Mwiti who has worked at the Old Swan & Minster Mill since 2010 and is now returning to his home in Kenya.
For more information about the Old Swan & Minster Mill click here
For more information about de Savary click here
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