MAGNOLIA BRASSERIE TEAM AT SUDBURY HOUSE CELEBRATE BEING AWARDED 2 AA RED ROSETTES

Head Chef Ben Bullen and his team from the Magnolia Brasserie at Faringdon's Sudbury House Hotel are delighted to have been awarded 2 AA Rosettes. The Magnolia Brasserie opened its doors in June 2014 and Ben's appointment was his first venture as Head Chef. He has gone on to create an interesting range of dishes for the less formal restaurant at Sudbury House and the quality of the food and service in Magnolia Brasserie has now been officially recognised.

Ben comments: "At the Magnolia Brasserie we have a mix of Mediterranean style and classic British dishes on
the menu; I like to create twists on classic flavor combinations using fresh, quality ingredients to give our diners a memorable experience at Sudbury House. We have a feature wood burner stove and an open plan kitchen in the Brasserie which gives me and my team the opportunity to interact with our guests. Being awarded 2 AA Rosettes means a lot to us all as there has been a considerable amount of hard work done to develop and evolve the Magnolia Brasserie menu. I have enjoyed the challenge of taking the Magnolia Brasserie from a new restaurant, creating a range of interesting dishes using our wood burner stove that gives food a unique and very different flavour."

Ben originally trained at the North Oxfordshire College in Banbury. Whilst a student, he worked part-time in Whately Hall Hotel in Banbury, where he first met and worked with Sudbury House Hotel's Executive Had Chef Andrew Scott. He then went on to work in Gee's Restaurant in Oxford working his way up to Senior Chef de Partie in just eighteen month. Ben continued to further his career working at Jesmond's in Highworth. During his first 6 months, the property was transformed from a Grade 2 listed building to a 5 AA Gold Star hotel. Here Ben gained valuable experience, as a Demi Chef de Partie, as he learned from William Guthrie what it takes to be awarded 2 AA Rosettes and voted one of the top 100 restaurants in Britain within two months of opening.

Ben gained further experience at the Churchill Arms in Paxford and Mallory Court in Royal Leamington Spa working under Simon Haigh. Having learned new skills in a Michelin starred, 3 AA Rosette kitchen, Ben gained a new found
respect and understanding of food. Before joining Sudbury House to take up the role of Head Chef in Magnolia Brasserie, Ben had returned to Gee's Restaurant as Sous Chef.

Rejoining Andrew Scott and Nick Bennett at Sudbury House, both of whom Ben had worked with previously was a
pleasure as the team enjoy great camraderie. "Working in such a happy and professional environment really makes a difference in all aspects of work," says Ben.

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.