Two familiar faces have returned to Scotland’s longest-standing two Michelin-starred restaurant, as Restaurant Andrew Fairlie marks a landmark 25 years.
Xavier Brette has been appointed General Manager, while John Preston returns as Restaurant Manager, reuniting with Head Chef Stevie McLaughlin and Director Kate Fairlie at the Gleneagles Hotel venue.
The appointments signal a new chapter for the award-winning restaurant, which continues to honour the legacy of the late Andrew Fairlie while celebrating the people and partnerships that have helped define its reputation for exceptional hospitality.
Xavier previously spent three years with the restaurant as Assistant Restaurant Manager, while John was part of the front-of-house team for almost 12 years. During that time, both worked closely with Andrew Fairlie, Kate Fairlie and Stevie McLaughlin, playing a key role in shaping the restaurant’s service culture.
With more than 25 years’ experience, Xavier brings a background spanning fine dining, Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star hotels and Relais & Châteaux properties across Mauritius, France, the UK and the USA. He most recently served as Experience General Manager and Resident Manager at Winteringham Fields in North Lincolnshire, a five-star hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant.
John, meanwhile, is a long-standing and well-known member of the team. He joined Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in 2013 as a Commis Waiter, rose to Head Waiter in 2018 and became Assistant Restaurant Manager in 2022.
He holds a degree in International Business with Modern Languages from the University of Strathclyde and has almost two decades of hospitality experience, including supervisory roles in Glasgow.
In their new roles, Xavier and John will work closely with Stevie McLaughlin and Kate Fairlie as the restaurant looks ahead to a year of special events and collaborations with friends and partners from across the industry.
Stevie McLaughlin said the return of the pair means “so much” to the team, adding that staff were “overjoyed” when the news was shared. He praised both men as highly skilled professionals who also bring a strong sense of humour to the restaurant.
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He said the appointments would help the team continue building on what Andrew Fairlie created over the past 25 years, while moving the restaurant into “a new era”.
Xavier said he was “over the moon” to be back at what he described as home, while John said he could not pass up the chance to return to a venue that played such a major role in his career.
Located inside The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie is widely regarded as one of the UK’s finest dining destinations. It earned its first Michelin star in 2002, just a year after opening, followed by a second star in 2006, and has retained its two-star status for the 21st consecutive year.
