A CELEBRATED chef is joining a five-star County Durham hotel.

Richard Allen has held a Michelin star since 2011 and will run The Orangery at Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth, while also working with the teams in its other two restaurants – The Clubhouse and the Spa Brasserie.

He has held three AA Rosettes for eight years and has two of the highest industry accolades to his name- the Cateys’ Head Chef of the Year 2012 and the Craft Guild of Chefs Restaurant Chef of the Year 2012. He is also one of the only chefs to have been named as one of Debrett’s People of Today.

Before joining Rockliffe, Mr Allen was executive chef of the Michelin-starred Tassili restaurant at the five-star Grand Jersey Hotel and has worked with well-known names such as Martin Blunos, Cheong Liew and Michel Roux Junior.

Originally from Poole in Dorset, he is married with two sons and joins Rockliffe Hall’s new chief executive, Eamonn Elliott who was previously general manager at the Grand Jersey Hotel, taking it from an unknown four-star hotel to the Channel Islands highest rated hotel, and gaining a Michelin star for its restaurant and AA five-star status.

Mr Elliott said: “Both Richard and I are committed to making Rockliffe Hall the very best hotel, spa, restaurant and golf resort in the country. Richard is one of the UK’s most celebrated chefs and is passionate about working with the team at Rockliffe Hall to set The Orangery apart from any other restaurant in the North of England.”