Dale Dewsbury is to step down from his role as general manager of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles next month, having been a key member of the leadership team since its 2001 launch.
Working alongside head chef Stephen McLaughlin, Dale ensured the restaurant maintained its standards following the premature death of Andrew Fairlie in January 2019. Four years later, remarkably, it topped the Harden’s 100 list as the UK’s highest-rated restaurant.
Dale said: “This has not been an easy decision, but it has been carefully taken over the last year. I will miss everything that is Restaurant Andrew Fairlie – especially the great team and our wonderful guests. Having seen the restaurant grow from an idea into a reality and from a reality to an established point on the gastronomic map, a huge part of my heart will remain with the restaurant and Andrew’s legacy.
“However, with the restaurant performing as strongly as it ever has, and with a team of real quality, longevity and ability, I feel happy and ready to hand over the baton. I’m confident that they will take the restaurant forward in exciting ways.
“It’s been my privilege to be a part of Andrew’s vision for the restaurant and I will always be immensely proud of my small contribution to what has become a leading light of the Scottish restaurant scene. From here though, I look forward to following its continued success as a diner.”
The front of house team at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie will continue to be led by Ross Hunter, restaurant manager for 10 years. Stephen McLaughlin said there would be a “Dale-shaped space” left behind, but the culture he had established would live on at the restaurant.
Restaurant director Kate Fairlie added: “Dale’s commitment to excellence has hugely inspired me, and I hope he takes this same energy into his new journey, bringing adventure, joy and the relaxation he so richly deserves. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Dale started his career working in country-house hotels in England more than 40 years ago, stepping up to manager at Sir Bernard Ashley’s Llangoed Hall in Wales. He moved to Scotland in 1996, first at the Georgian Room on Loch Lomond then One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow, where he forged the partnership with chef Andrew Fairlie that they continued at the world-famous resort in Auchterarder.
