Jonny Wright named head chef at the Gleneagles Townhouse

Jonny Wright, a 2016 Acorn Award winner, has been named head chef at the Gleneagles Townhouse hotel and member's club in Edinburgh ahead of its opening this spring.

The role sees 34-year-old Wright return to Scotland after working in London as head chef at Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern, sous chef at Luke Selby’s Evelyn’s Table and senior sous chef at the Palomar restaurant in Soho.

He will oversee the culinary offering across the hotel and at its all-day restaurant, the Spence. His menu is described as “rooted in classics with a modern twist”, with dishes set to include wild mushroom tart with goat’s curd and hazelnuts; whole roasted turbot with fennel and chilli; and Scotch baba with praline sauce and mascarpone for two to share.

The chef will work alongside restaurateurs Zoe and Layo Paskin, who have developed the Spence as their first consultancy project outside of London. Their sites in the capital include the Palomar, the Barbary and Evelyn’s Table – which recently won a Michelin star in the 2022 Great Britain and Ireland guide.

The Spence is set in a former banking hall, and will feature a glass domed ceiling and a central bar serving a drinks list curated by bar manager Stefanie Anderson.

The Gleneagles Townhouse is the first city outpost of the original hotel in Auchterarder, Perthshire. It will feature 33 bedrooms, a rooftop bar, wellness space and member’s club.