Dalhousie Castle hires new head chef

Pedro was promoted to the position having previously worked as senior sous chef since 2018 at the castle – situated between Bonnyrigg and Newtongrange. Previous to that he worked across Scotland including at Ballachulish House in the Highlands and Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes & Co Edinburgh restaurant, where he started his career.

Commenting on his influences, Pedro said: “Growing up on the north coast of Spain with parents as dairy farmers and keen cooks themselves, I learnt the importance of eating and cooking seasonally from a young age.

"We grew vegetables in our garden and ate a lot of fresh seafood, particularly scallops, octopus, and langoustines.”

“We have a tremendous choice of ingredients on our doorstep here in Scotland.

"I take the principles of only using, where possible, local, seasonal ingredients and adding a special twist to create a unique dining experience.”

Alex Bryant, general manager of Dalhousie Castle said: “Pedro was the natural candidate for head chef, he is highly skilled, and has the passion and ambition to take our restaurants forward. For us as a business, his ability to train and develop the team is crucial as it aligns with our core values of encouraging succession through the business and it’s wonderful to see staff flourishing under his leadership and mentorship.”