Celebrity chef announces talented new team members for Plymouth restaurant

One of the South West’s most talented chefs is to lead the culinary team at Marco Pierre White’s new Plymouth eatery.

The renowned chef is bringing his famous Steakhouse Bar & Grill restaurant chain to the top floor of the city’s Holiday Inn, and today he announced two talented new members of the team - experienced General Manager Alistair Graham and popular local Head Chef Gavin Hobbs.

Gavin has worked in hotels and restaurants all over the South West, most recently as Head Chef at the Copthorne Hotel in Plymouth city centre, overseeing a team of 10 and responsible for the bar menu, room service, a la carte menu and numerous functions.

He was also Head Chef at the Grosvenor Hotel in Torquay and the Lyneham Inn in Plympton, as well as working his way up through the ranks at the Copthorne, from Commis Chef in 1997 to Sous Chef within four years.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the talented team that Marco is putting together.

“We are planning something really special for Plymouth and I am looking forward to working with, and learning from, the legendary Marco Pierre White.

“I learnt my trade in this wonderful city and I believe it deserves something as great as the Steakhouse Bar & Grill to showcase some of the amazing local produce we will be able to choose from.”

Also joining the team is accomplished General Manager Alistair Graham, who has been involved in the food, beverage and leisure industry for the past 25 years.

Most recently he ran the renowned Mitch Tonks’ Rockfish Restaurant in the city and has also worked all over the region, including managing the Barclay House Hotel’s two restaurants in Looe.

He said: “This is an exciting time for Plymouth, with new facilities and events planned as we begin the countdown to the Mayflower 400 celebrations in 2020.

“I’m really looking forward to making Marco’s latest restaurant a success and I can’t think of a better location than Britain’s Ocean City.”

The new restaurant at the Holiday Inn follows a massive refurbishment of the hotel on Armada Way, which will be re-branded to a Crowne Plaza in April.

Marco Pierre White retired in 1999 after leading the UK restaurant scene for more than 25 years, helping to launch the careers of Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsey.

He won his third Michelin star in 1995 at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White in London, becoming the youngest British chef, at the age of 33, to win three stars in the UK.

He curates the Steakhouse Bar & Grill menu himself and diners can expect great steaks and timeless English and French classics ranging from Welsh Rarebit to Chicken Kiev - using the best locally sourced ingredients.

He comments "I call it affordable glamour and we hope it's an experience our guests will want to return to again and again."

Since his retirement from the kitchen he has been developing his own restaurant brands, including Marco’s New York Italian, Wheeler's of St. James’s, Bardolino and Mr. White’s English Chophouse. Today his restaurant brands are all about delivering quality food at affordable prices.