New restaurant manager appointed at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
Scotland’s longest standing two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, has appointed James Ashton to the role of restaurant manager.
Originally from Santa Cruz, California, James brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has worked in managerial positions for a wide range of highly regarded fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants across America and Europe.
Most recently, James was restaurant manager at Ängsbacka, a yoga retreat in Sweden. Prior to that he worked at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Horváth in Berlin, Michelin-rated Olmsted in Brooklyn, and worked under two-star chef, Jean-George Vongerichten, in New York City.
James started his career at critically acclaimed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California with restaurateur Alice Waters, before working in high-end restaurants in Austin, Texas. His love of working in hospitality started early, taking on his first job working as a busboy in a local hotel in Los Gatos at just 14 years old. James had worked his way up to a head waiter role by the time he was 18 and just three years later he took on his first general manager position.
Chef director at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Stephen McLaughlin, said: “We’re all really pleased to have James join the team. He brings some diverse experience to the restaurant, along with fantastic energy and new perspective. He’s ready to lead the team in a positive way, while remaining respectful of what we’ve built up here over the last 25 years.
“James is committed to delivering - and exceeding - the high standards expected from Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, with a real understanding our culture and ethos. He really gets the importance of motivating and nurturing the team, while ensuring that every guest that dines with us receives the very best experience.
“We’re thrilled to welcome James to the Restaurant
Andrew Fairlie family and look forward to seeing him progress in this role.”
Commenting on his appointment, James said: “I’m truly excited to be playing a part in the Andrew Fairlie legacy.
“The restaurant has clearly been so well managed over the years, and the team is unimaginably impressive.
“We have a group of very skilled and curious individuals who are all so excited to be here and learn and carry this project along with me. They inspire me every day.
“Meanwhile, every guest is getting such a personal experience. Every single member of the team will have a part to play for each table, and I think that's what this restaurant is all about. It’s a thoroughly warm, friendly, considerate experience.
“Looking ahead, our head sommelier, Frenk and I share a vision of continuing the world class service and the traditional, beautiful legacy of warmth and kindness, while bringing it into the new era of dining.
“We won’t be making any big changes, we’ll simply make little tweaks here and there to make sure every guest continues to leave the restaurant having had the most incredible experience they could possibly have. I can’t wait to see where this takes us as a restaurant.”
Based inside The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie is widely regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the UK. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2002, within a year of opening, and the second star was added in 2006. Earlier this year, the restaurant retained two Michelin stars for the 20th consecutive year.
In 2017, the restaurant became the first Scottish establishment included in Les Grandes Tables du Monde, a guide listing 170 of the most distinguished restaurants in the world. In 2023, it was named as the UK's top restaurant in Harden's Top 100 Best UK Restaurants, an influential guide which ranks the UK’s best dining destinations as chosen by diners.
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New restaurant manager appointed at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
