A career in the army took Kieran Turner around the world but his new role as head chef at Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort will see him bringing the best of Angus’ larder to diners.
Seasonal, local produce and provenance are key pillars of Kieran’s new menu, which includes new lunch options and lighter, fresher dinner choices.
He also has plans to introduce events such as BBQs with live music, homemade pizza and meats which have been smoked in-house.
Owned by the Forbes family for the past 30 years, Forbes of Kingennie offers a range of luxurious waterside and woodland lodges, eco glamping pods and cosy shepherd’s huts with hot tubs, overlooking fishing pools, a cold water swimming pond, sauna, 9-hole golf course, 18-hole putting green and driving range.
The resort is also a well-known wedding venue and popular choice for corporate events and away days.
Kieran (33) said he was excited to develop the long-established food offering at Forbes of Kingennie.
“Since starting at Forbes of Kingennie I have introduced both a lunch menu and completely redeveloped the main menu. The lunch menu has been designed to offer a few simple smaller dishes, including sandwiches, bagels and a few hot dishes. The chicken parmigiana and the open steak sandwich have both proved to be extremely popular.
“Guests can expect a much lighter, fresher menu all day and evening, which has received great feedback so far,” he said. “What inspires me most when looking at menus is looking at current food trends and adapting them using traditional cooking methods. Using seasonal products from the exceptional larder we have right on our doorstep has to be the biggest focus as it supports both local producers and the local economy.”
Kieran was brought up in an army family and moved around as a child, including stints in Germany, Northern Ireland and England, before signing up himself and working as a chef.
After leaving the army he built his career working for Greene King and Zizzi’s Italian then the Roo’s Leap in Montrose.
His most recent role was as chef manager at Angus Grill + Larder near Brechin, where he was responsible for everything from menus and marketing to training and recruitment before the challenging economic climate forced it to close last year.
He is now responsible for a team of 11, designing and producing delicious meals for special occasions in The Scullery restaurant, informal food in the Cairn O’Mount Bar, private dining in the Buddon Burn suite and catering for weddings and events.
The opportunity to design his own menus was appealing to Kieran, a dad of three who is engaged to Debbie.
“I love having the chance to design my own menus and I was also drawn to Forbes of Kingennie for the opportunity to once again work for a family-owned business, where you feel valued as an individual,” he said.
“We have plans to introduce more theme night dining options using the fantastic events space we have. We have recently purchased our own outdoor grill and we will look at doing BBQs on the decking over the summer months, with live music.
“I also want to launch the next menu around the autumn, which will include produce from local game farmers. There is lots to look forward to.”
Libby Sutherland, partner at Forbes of Kingennie, welcomed Kieran to the team.
“We are thrilled to have Kieran on board as our new head chef. As well as a passion for local produce, he has a wealth of experience from living and working in different parts of the UK and other countries.
“We know provenance and local produce is a priority for many diners so we take huge pride in using produce from our family farm, and we put the utmost care into our menus to ensure our guests enjoy fantastic food as well as a warm welcome and great company.
“We look forward to seeing what Kieran and his team create as we continue to expand our offering at Forbes of Kingennie, for both visitors who come to stay or enjoy our leisure facilities and locals who come to dine and relax with friends or family.”
Forbes of Kingennie Countryside Resort is located in a prime countryside location close to Broughty Ferry, just 15 minutes from Dundee, with easy access from Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
For more information and to book, visit www.forbesofkingennie.co.uk
