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Award-winning restaurant manager in 5* promotion

Rockliffe Hall’s award-winning Brasserie manager has been promoted to a new role within the 5* resort.

Owen Gooding has been appointed as manager of The Orangery at Rockliffe Hall, a newly created position following the triple AA Rosette restaurant’s re-launch earlier this year.

Owen is the current holder of the North East Hotels Association ‘Service Excellence’ gold award and has been The Brasserie manager since joining Rockliffe Hall in January 2012.

The Orangery underwent a £150,000 refurbishment earlier this year which saw the flagship restaurant opening throughout the day for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner six evenings per week.

As manager, Owen will be responsible for managing and co-ordinating breakfasts, conferences, afternoon teas, drinks and private dining in Rockliffe Hall’s prestigious 18th Century Old Hall, home to not only The Orangery but various lounges and a cocktail bar.

Before joining Rockliffe Hall, Owen- from Durham, worked as a restaurant manager for the De Vere Group and Marks and Spencer.

Speaking about his new role, Owen said: “Being part of Rockliffe Hall’s team is a real pleasure and being offered this new role is such an honour. Lunch and afternoon tea in The Orangery have really taken off so it’s a privilege to be tasked with managing these aspects which are now central to its on-going growth. I’m really excited about providing guests- old and new- visiting our beautiful Old Hall throughout the day with a 5* experience.”

Managing director of Rockliffe Hall, Nick Holmes, added: “Since we opened The Orangery for lunch and afternoon tea, we’ve seen a real influx of guests who are now experiencing Rockliffe Hall at different times of the day- as well as for dinner in the evening. Lunch is proving a real hit, offering people the chance to enjoy a mix of a la carte and tasting menus at competitive prices.

“To cope with these developments, we needed someone who could manage a host of different aspects. We’re passionate about promoting from within and giving our employees new job opportunities and Owen knows Rockliffe Hall incredibly well, having worked for us for over 18 months. It’s great to be able to offer a valued member of the team a completely new role. Owen’s efficient yet relaxed manner is exactly what we need in The Orangery and I’m sure he’ll be a real asset.”

Rockliffe Hall has a team of over 320 mainly local employees from Darlington and the surrounding area, having created around 30 new jobs in the last year alone.

The 5* resort is home to three restaurants, The Orangery housed within the walls of the 18th Century Old Hall, The Brasserie which offers relaxed brunch, lunch and evening dining and The Clubhouse with its views across the Championship golf course .

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison .