Former Great British Menu contestant Jason Hodnett is set to replace Mark Ellis as executive head chef at Peckforton Castle.

Jason joins Peckforton after three and a half years at the Raven Hotel in Wenlock. He took to twitter to make the announcement and of his time at the Raven Hotel he said: “I have spent those years cooking for amazing guests and working with people who are now more like family than colleagues. I will be truly sad to leave after the fantastic support I’ve had from guests, staff and the owners alike, but sometimes an offer is made that would be foolish to turn down.”

He replaces Mark Ellis, also a former Great British Menu contestant, who held the position for 10 years before announcing at the end of last year he would be opening his first solo venture, Allium in the centre of Chester.
On his new role Jason said: “It’s an amazing opportunity to develop this already wonderful hotel and hopefully take it to the next level!”

>>> Related: Former Great British Menu contestant, Mark Ellis announces departure from Peckforton Castle to open first solo venture

Jason has had a passion for cooking from a very young age and found that proceeding to a career in the kitchen was a natural move, as his father and grandfather were military chefs.

Jason trained at Shrewsbury Redbrook College and his life has since been a story of success. By the time he was 24 he was already working as head chef at the four star, two AA Rosette Albrighton Hotel. After leaving in 2010 he became head chef at the AA Rosette fine dining restaurant and, in 2013 he started as head chef at the two AA Rosette restaurant Saracens in Hadnall, Shrewsbury.

He was also a contestant on Master Chef: The Professionals in 2009 and Iron Chef UK in 2010.

>>> More on Jason Hodnett here