David Ellams appointed head chef of Cambridge's Tamburlaine hotel

The 155-bedroom Tamburlaine hotel in Cambridge has lost its second key member of staff since opening in April with the departure of executive chef Alan Dann.

College lecturer David Ellams has been appointed head chef to replace Dann. Zac Pearse, general manager of the hotel left within two month of the launch of the property, which is the first hotel development in the UK for the Dublin-based O'Callaghan Hotel Group.

Until recently Ellams was head of programmes for catering and hospitality at Cambridge Regional College. Prior to 2014 he worked as a hotel chef at Danesfield House, near Marlow, Buckinghamshire; Staplefield House, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, where he was head chef for six years; and Mortons hotel, Corfe Castle, Dorset.

Ellams said that he was excited by the fact that the Tamburlaine is a new project and "there are essentially no limitations to what we can achieve in the months and years to come".

He likes to use fewer ingredients and his current favourite dish on the Tamburlaine menu is octopus, chorizo and potato.

Paul Rhodes, deputy general manager at the Tamburlaine, added: "David's strong background in four red star, Relais & Chateaux, rosette and Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties illustrated that he is a perfect fit for Tamburlaine and we are all excited to see where his vision takes the restaurant offering."

It is not known where either Dann or Pearse are now working. A new general manager has been appointed for the hotel and will be announced shortly.

The O'Callaghan Hotel Group was founded in 1990 when its first hotel, the Mont Clare, opened in Dublin.

Today the group operates a further three hotels in Dublin: the Davenport; the Alexander; the Stephen's Green; and three international properties: the Eliott in Gibraltar, the Annapolis in Maryland, US, and the Tamburlaine.

Hotel design: Tamburlaine >>

University Arms in Cambridge to open with designs by Martin Brudnizki >>

O'Callaghan Hotel Group's Tamburlaine hotel to open in April >>
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