MasterChef: The Professionals finalist becomes head chef at Retreat East

Adam Spicer, a finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals 2019, has been as appointed head chef at the Great Barn restaurant at Retreat East in Suffolk.

Prior to the role, Spicer worked as sous chef at the Tackroom and the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket.

The winner of the Cambridge Chef of the Year (2017) was also head chef at All Saints Hotel, which received two-AA-rosettes during his tenure.

Spicer’s menu at Retreat East is focused on seasonality and sustainability. Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers or the retreat’s organic kitchen garden.

Highlights include spring Suffolk chicken with potato terrine, chicken butter sauce, sorrel; and BBQ spring onions and summer squash with miso and maple, BBQ peach, courgette and fried pumpkin seeds.

Desserts such as fig leaf and woodruff set cream caramel and gooseberry compote sit alongside a wine menu that features a mix of natural and English sparkling wines.

Spicer also ferments and preserves his leftover homegrown produce in an effort to reduce food waste.

He said: “Myself and the team are excited to get started. Having grown up in the area, I share the same ethos surrounding Retreat East. My aim is to produce local and sustainable food focusing on seasonal produce that works with local farmers, producers, and suppliers.

“As a team, we plan to focus our efforts primarily around the incredible kitchen garden. We are inspired by Mother Nature and the seasonal bounty available to us, so naturally we will offer a selection of delicious plant-based dishes using cultivated organic produce from the kitchen garden and foraging within the Retreat East grounds.’’

Craig Jameson, general manager at Retreat East, added: “We are incredibly excited to have Adam and his team joining us here at Retreat East. We believe with Adam and his team there is a natural fit between the style of cuisine that they are passionate about, and the wider ethos of the business. I am looking forward to working with them to take the restaurant experience at The Great Barn to the next level.”

Retreat East launched in 2017 and offers 17 farm buildings and barns that sleep between two to eight guests, a small spa and The Great Barn restaurant.