Hill to oversee food at New Forest hotel

Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hill has been appointed the new director of cooking at the Montague Arms Hotel in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

The announcement ends months of speculation over the next move for the multi-award-winning former chef-patron of the Merchant House in Ludlow, which finally closed its doors in February this year.

Hill said of the appointment: "It keeps me out of mischief for part of the week, but I will be continuing with my writing, too. The food at The Montague has got a way to go, so I will be changing the menus and training the crew to produce a more exciting offering. I will be at the sharp end of the kitchen, but there will also a permanent head chef."

Hill's latest literary offering, How to Cook Better, was awarded the Guild of Food Writers' Cookery Book of the Year award last week.