“I want to create lasting memories for our guests”

The Staff Canteen

Editor

The Great Fosters hotel in Egham, Surrey is to relaunch its Tudor Room restaurant as the Tudor Pass under new executive chef Alex Payne on 1 October.

Alex’s appointment follows the departure of the restaurant's former executive chef Tony Parkin in July.

Commenting ahead of the restaurant’s relaunch next month, Alex said: "My team and I plan to explain and serve many of the dishes directly to diners to bring some of the excitement and theatre of the kitchen into the restaurant.”

Discussing the ambience he intends to create for his guests, Alex revealed: “I want to create lasting memories for our guests; whether that's eating something they've never tasted before, finding their new favourite wine that's paired with one of our dishes, or simply learning something new about cooking from the team."

I am super excited to announce that I will be taking over as Executive Chef of The Tudor Pass at @greatfosters
Heading back to my home town of Egham, I’m delighted to be bringing my trusted team old and new along for the journey and I can’t wait to get started. Book in bio 👨🏻‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/Hatf1JeqX1
— Alex Payne (@ChefAlexPayne) September 20, 2022

FROM MASTERCHEF TO EXECUTIVE CHEF

Alex appeared on TV screens back in 2018 when he competed in season 11 of MasterChef: The Professionals, whilst Head chef at the Thames Table at Crockers in Henley-on-Thames.

Before becoming a household name, Alex previously worked with Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, allowing him to develop his career and pick up essential experience.

In his new role, Alex will oversee the lunch and dinner menu, serving dishes with seasonal ingredients using modern techniques.

Commenting on Alex’s appointment, Prem Kumar hotel manager at the Great Fosters Estate, added: "We are delighted to be opening the Tudor Pass and eagerly anticipate Alex's exciting menu. I know that our guests are really going to enjoy this new style of cooking and we all look forward to The Tudor Pass becoming the restaurant of choice for local Surrey residents as well as becoming a reason to visit for guests coming to stay overnight with us."

The recently refurbished Tudor Pass restaurant will only have seven tables and will be open Wednesdays to Saturdays, with prices starting at £65 for a four-course lunch and £120 for a seven-course dinner.

The Great Fosters is part of the Alexander Hotel Collection and features 56 individually designed bedrooms, two restaurants, private dining facilities and the Utopia Retreat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Payne (@chefalexpayne)

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.