Jon Coates appointed head chef at the Elder in Bath

Jon Coates has been appointed as head chef of Mike Robinson’s the Elder restaurant in Bath.

The Elder was opened in 2021 within Hotel Indigo Bath by Robinson, co-owner of the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms pub in London, and hotel management firm Castlebridge Hospitality.

Coates was previously head chef at Robinson’s the Woodsman restaurant at Hotel Indigo in Stratford-upon-Avon and led the kitchen at Dickie Fitz in London.

He has added new dishes to Elder’s menu, including slow-cooked Berkshire hare ragout with soft polenta, green sauce, and 36-month aged parmesan; and roast Gressingham duck with swede, chicory, and pickled blackberries.

The restaurant will continue to focus on game, with dishes including Vadouvan spiced muntjac deer tartare; and roast pave and faggot of Bathurst estate fallow deer with beetroot tatin, dirty mash, and peppercorn sauce.

Robinson is also behind the Forge restaurant at Hotel Indigo Chester.