Devonshire Arms’ Paul Leonard to join the Forest Side

Paul Leonard has been appointed head chef at the Michelin-starred the Forest Side hotel following the departure of Kevin Tickle earlier in the month.

Tickle left in order to “embark on new projects”. Leonard is set to join the four-silver-AA-starred, 20-bedroom property in Grasmere, Cumbria, in November from the Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire, where he has been head chef since 2017. He took the four-red-AA-star, 40-bedroom hotel’s Burlington restaurant from three to four AA rosettes.

He previously worked as head chef at the then Michelin-starred Isle of Eriska in Oban, Argyll, and sous chef at the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Perthshire.

Owner of the Forest Side, Andrew Wildsmith, said: “I’ve followed Paul’s career with interest over the last few years. He’s a great chef, a great guy and I can’t wait for him to join the team at Forest Side.”

General manager Alasdair Elwick said: “Myself and the team are thrilled to be welcoming Paul to Grasmere. His extensive experience and passion for local produce make him the ideal fit to take the helm at Forest Side, where we continue to go from strength to strength in our efforts to showcase the best of Cumbria’s remarkable larder. We look forward to revealing further details in due course.”

The Forest Side opened in February 2016 as the third property in the Wildsmith Hotels collection, which also comprise two other Cumbrian hotels: Hipping Hall in Kirby Lonsdale and Ryebeck in Bowness-on-Windermere. Wildsmith Hotels was founded by chemistry graduate-turned-hotelier Wildsmith.