Whatley Manor’s Head Chef, Martin Burge, joins British master chefs for the 2015 St Moritz Gourmet Festival

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa (01666 822 888, www.whatleymanor.com), the luxurious Wiltshire retreat, is pleased to announce that its head chef, Martin Burge, who holds two Michelin stars at the hotel’s restaurant The Dining Room, will be joining forces with eight other British culinary superstars for the prestigious 2015 St. Moritz Gourmet Festival.

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To celebrate 150 years of winter tourism in Switzerland, and to recognise the fact that British travellers were the first to discover St Moritz as a winter destination, the 2015 St Moritz Gourmet Festival has invited Claude Bosi, Angela Harnett, Virgilio Martínez, Jason Atherton, Nathan Outlaw, Isaac McHale, Atul Kochhar, Chong Choi Fong and Martin Burge to provide exceptional culinary experiences during the festival, which runs from 26 to 30 January 2015.

‘These master chefs of the United Kingdom’s fine dining scene will provide spectacular innovative inspiration with their outstanding art of cookery and truly individual philosophy. Their exciting culinary variety will make the “British Edition” of the 2015 St Moritz Gourmet Festival particularly attractive for gourmets’, explains festival President Reto Mathis.

Martin Burge, who recently retained his two Michelin stars at The Dining Room for an impressive seventh year, will be guest chef of Bernd Ackermann, chef de cuisine at Suvretta House. Martin is famed for his innovative, seasonal cuisine, and regular guests to Whatley Manor will know that this partnership is particularly appropriate as Whatley Manor’s former General Manager, Peter Egli, now oversees the 5-star Suvretta House. 

During the week-long festival Martin will be recreating a number of dishes including a ‘Haddock tartar topped with wasabi ice cream’; ‘Set warm mushroom cream, layered with hazelnut emulsion and artichoke foam’; Hot smoked salmon flakes, topped with a celeriac consommé and poached quail eggs’ and will be rounding off the week with one of his signature dishes ‘Snails set with a warm garlic cream, topped with red wine kidney sauce’. 

The stylish Suvretta House celebrated its 100th anniversary in Winter 2012/13, and Bernd Ackermann’s Grand Restaurant (awarded 15 GaultMillau points) has set the tone of high gastronomy in the area. Since 2001 Ackermann and his team have delighted guests from all over the world, including VIPs and world leaders, with their culinary creations. Ackermann favours a light, modern style with fresh seasonal produce and international influences, as well as new molecular ingredients that give the dishes his personal signature.

With these exciting guest chefs from the UK and the equally outstanding chefs de cuisine of the partner hotels, a varied events programme will be presented during the festival week, starting with the glamorous opening at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains and continuing with individual Gourmet Dîners, Gourmet Safaris and the legendary Kitchen Party at the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel. Suvretta House will be the destination for the sumptuous Fascination Champagne evening, with guests treated to exclusive champagnes paired with Martin Burge and Bernd Ackermann’s culinary delights. 

Advance booking for the events starts on 1 December 2014. Current news can be found on the website www.stmoritz-gourmetfestival.ch and on Facebook. 

Alternatively, a one-night stay at Whatley Manor costs from £315 for a standard room including bed and breakfast and 10% discretionary service charge and VAT, plus use of the award-winning Spa Aquarias. The Dining Room serves dinner Wednesday – Sunday. The à la carte menu in ‘The Dining Room’ costs from £85 per person. The seven course tasting menu is £110 per person. Wine matching alongside the tasting menu is an additional £65. Le Mazot, the brasserie is open daily for lunch and dinner. A three-course lunch in Le Mazot costs from £35 excluding wine.

For further information and to book call Whatley Manor on 01666 822 888 or visit the website at www.whatleymanor.com

 Whatley Manor is a member of Relais & Châteaux

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For further information please call Anthea Yabsley at IDeal Public Relations http://www.ideal-pr.co.uk on 020 8578 6777 or email [email protected] or contact Eloise Gordon on 01666 827086 or email [email protected]

Notes of Editors:

Whatley Manor opened in July 2003 following three and a half years of extensive restoration. The Landolt family independently own Whatley Manor – Mrs Alix Landolt and Mr Christian Landolt. Gurval Durand is the General Manager.