James ‘Jocky' Petrie joins Gordon Ramsay Group

Gordon Ramsay Group has appointed former Fat Duck chef James ‘Jocky' Petrie to the role of group executive development chef.

Petrie will develop talent and creativity across all 14 of the UK restaurants in the company's portfolio.

He joins Gordon Ramsay Group after completing a year-long post as head of development at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant the Ledbury in London's Notting Hill.

Stuart Gillies, Gordon Ramsay Group managing director, said: "We are really excited to have Jocky join us. He and I have spent a long time talking through the exciting opportunities that lie ahead and we're very pleased to have him on board in this new role as the company continues to grow."

Petrie said: "Having followed Gordon's career, I feel excited to be joining this rapidly expanding global company led by one of the world's most established and successful chefs. Coming from a background of developing menus and ideas for two and three Michelin star-level restaurants, this larger scale role of overseeing 14 world-renowned restaurants within the UK feels like a natural and challenging step forward for me.

"I hope to bring a fresh perspective to the creative process within the company by working alongside Gordon and his head chefs to build and support a strong creative development team and nurture exciting young talent."

Petrie began his kitchen career as a pot washer in his native Oban on the west coast of Scotland. Having studied at Perth College, he began working in the kitchen of Kinnaird House hotel and was quickly promoted to head of pastry within six months. He later joined Hambleton Hall in the Midlands before moving to the US to lead the pastry team at the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia.

In 2001, he returned to the UK and joined the Fat Duck, where he rose to the role of head pastry chef during the time that the restaurant achieved its third Michelin star. In 2009, he was appointed head of development of the Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen, where he oversaw dish development for all of Heston Blumenthal's restaurants and brands, including the two-Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in central London.

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