A boutique Wiltshire hotel is marking a record first half of the year with a raft of promotions, new appointments, long service awards, and even more stars and rosettes.
The AA four-star Beechfield House in Beanacre has welcomed a new general manager, Peter Rusu, and a new head chef, Dan Smith, to its team.
Peter Rusu joins the team with 20 years of experience in the industry, from family-run hotels to household names such as Mariott Group.
Mr Rusu said: “We are obviously blessed with beautiful surroundings and a brilliant team. I can’t wait to work on more events and experiences to ensure guests have the best possible stay and continue supporting the team to grow and develop.”
Alongside Peter, Dan Smith is set to mix things up in the kitchen, bringing a modern British culinary style and working with the team to launch a new menu in September.
He has worked in some top London kitchens and alongside illustrious names such as Marco Pierre White, Richard Corrigan and Graham Garrett.
After relocating to the South West to work with top-quality ingredients 15 years ago, Dan is set to bring his ‘love of local’ to Beechfield House’s two-rosette restaurant.
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Dan said: “I love the location of the hotel, not just for the beautiful surroundings but because we get to work with some incredible local suppliers, which really plays into my passion for using quality local ingredients.
“It’s a small team in the kitchen so I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and working together to deliver an exceptional dining experience for our guests.”
The team has also been celebrating its longest-serving member of staff, head housekeeper, Livia Szirovicza, who joined the hotel 10 years ago.
Meanwhile, Becca Ford has been appointed as head of reservations and sales after nearly three years at the hotel.
Beechfield House owner, Chris Whyte, said: “This year has been incredible for the hotel so far, from a record-breaking six months for bookings to retaining our 4 AA Red Stars putting us in the top 200 hotels in the country.”
The independently-owned hotel just off the A350 Beanacre Road near Melksham was built in 1878 as a family home for a local farmer named Richard Keevil and was converted into a 24-bedroomed hotel in the late 1960s.
It has recently added a two-bedroom apartment to its offering for families during the summer holidays.
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