Ayrshire’s leading hospitality group, SimpsInns, has appointed a new executive head chef to lead its kitchen teams and to develop the menu’s at five restaurants across the region.
Ewan McAllister will lead a team of over 40 hospitality professionals including Coast Restaurant at The Gailes Hotel & Spa, The Potting Shed at Si!! in Irvine, The Loans Inn at Troon and The Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride.
He joins SimpsInns with over 24 years’ experience in a variety of culinary and hospitality roles. His most recent positions include an executive chef role at the Corinthian Club in Glasgow and head chef at Seamill Hydro Hotel, and he was head chef at the Kirkmichael Arms in Maybole for 11 years, playing a key role in achieving 2 AA rosette status for the restaurant.
As part of his new role with SimpsInns, Ewan is taking a fresh look at the menus across the group with an aim to introduce more local and seasonal produce, as well as serving up classic dishes. His first project for SimpsInns is to create a new menu for The Loans Inn at Troon, which is currently undergoing a fresh makeover in time for a spring re-launch.
Ewan McAllister said, “I’m really looking forward to the challenges that this new position will bring. It’s the pinnacle of my career to date and provides me with a wonderful opportunity to make a real mark on Ayrshire’s food and drink scene.
“My culinary philosophy is to keep things local and seasonal and to serve well-cooked and well-presented tasty food to our all our guests at each of SimpsInns’ restaurants.
Ewan added, “Scottish produce is second to none, so I plan to add more local ingredients and make the most of the amazing local seafood landed in Troon. I’m delighted to get langoustines and seafood delivered straight to the kitchen door from the boat and use Blackthorn Sea Salt, which is produced right here in Ayrshire.”
Lee Simpson from SimpsInns, said, “We’re really excited to see what Ewan will create across SimpsInns’ collection of restaurants. His culinary talent will play a huge part in attracting local customers and overnights guests for a great value dining experience as we develop and expand our offering in 2025.
“We know Ewan is the right choice to spearhead our kitchen teams and further enhance our growing reputation for providing some of Ayrshire’s most exciting food and drink destinations.”
The Irvine-based Simpson family is the driving force behind SimpsInns, which owns and operates a collection of hotels, restaurants, bars, spa, golf, and leisure activities along the Ayrshire coast, including The Gailes Hotel & Spa in Irvine, The Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride and The Loans at Troon.
Continued investment has been a key strategy for the growth of Simpsinns over the last three years, with over £4 million invested across the group. SimpsInns is currently expanding The Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride, adding 17 new rooms and a stunning sea front spa, an extension of their successful Si! Spa brand at The Gailes.