The Pass at South Lodge has appointed a new chef

Fine-dining restaurant, The Pass at South Lodge has appointed a new chef to take the helm at the intimate 28-seat eatery. Head chef Ben Wilkinson will join the hotel in August 2022 bringing with him a wealth of experience following his success at The Cottage in the Wood, a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in the Lake District.

Ben will be joining the team with his partner, Monika Zurawska, who will be leading the front house team. Both are thrilled to be joining The Pass and bringing something new to the Sussex community.

Ben’s menu at The Pass will bring seasonal and local produce to diners’ plates, very much an ode to the county, highlights will include Sussex Downs venison with fennel, caper, smoke and rye; and wild sea trout with cucumber, oysters and roe. Desserts include Three Sheep’s cheese and strawberry ewe’s curd with vanilla and elderflowers. Thanks to The Pass’ design, guests will be able to enjoy a truly immersive chef’s table-style dining experience focused on seasonality, clever cooking and thoughtful tasting menus.

David Connell, general manager of South Lodge says, “The past two years have seen us working with some fabulous chefs for short-term residencies, however, we now feel the time is right to bring in a more permanent team to take the restaurant on to new levels. Having held a Michelin Star at The Cottage in the Wood in Keswick, along with it being listed at number 24 in the UK Top 100 Restaurants list in 2021, Ben demonstrates the quality of menu he can bring to South Lodge. The Lake District has fabulous local produce, but we know that Sussex has too, so we’re very excited by what he can bring to the table.”

Find out about hosting your wedding day at South Lodge at www.exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge