Langley Castle appoints culinary director

Northumberland hotel Langley Castle has appointed chef and cookbook author Mark Greenaway as its first culinary director as it looks to strengthen its reputation as a food-led destination.

Mark brings decades of experience to the Hexham hotel, including appearances on The Great British Menu, Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch.

His career has included opening Mark Greenaway at Picardy Place in Edinburgh, later relocating the three-AA-Rosette restaurant to North Castle Street, before developing Grazing by Mark Greenaway at the Caledonian Hotel.

He later expanded into London and has published two cookbooks, Perception and Progression.

In his newly created role, Mark will oversee Langley Castle’s food offering, developing menus centred on seasonal ingredients and local and regional produce as part of its new ‘field to fortress’ strategy.

His approach will extend across the four-star hotel’s dining experiences, from tasting and à la carte menus to afternoon teas, Sunday lunches, weddings and special occasions.

Mark said: “This is an exciting and brand-new challenge, with an opportunity for me to take a blank page and create a vision that brings Northumberland produce to the fore and puts seasonal fine dining centre stage.  

“I have big ambitions for Langley Castle and want to take my entire culinary team on an exciting journey that will be challenging but extraordinarily rewarding.

“The message is for food-lovers to make a bee line for Northumberland and understand the role that food can play in enriching a stay at a venue that is truly like no other.  

“Our intention is to create memories on a plate and make our food the catalyst for conversations about dishes that will still be being held in many years to come.”

Mark’s appointment comes during Langley Castle’s 40th anniversary year as a hotel, with the business aiming to establish itself as one of the UK’s leading culinary destination hotels.

Mohamed Serag, Langley Castle’s general manager, added: “The castle has never had a culinary director at the helm, which demonstrates our intention to make Langley Castle one of the key places to head for an experience that intertwines 676 years of history with extraordinarily delightful, fresh and seasonal food.  

“Under Mark’s direction, food will become a more integral part of our offering to the visiting guest and local diner than ever before, providing every reason for our customers to unwind in a setting like no other, with centuries of history surrounding them.  

“Attracting Mark Greenaway to Langley Castle has been a real coup in what is our 40th anniversary year as a hotel and restaurant.”

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