The Rockliffe Files - Members-only Focus Dinner with Kenny Atkinson

Following his meteoric rise to fame on the back of his success on the BBC’s Great British Menu, and follow on appearances on Saturday Morning Kitchen, Kenny Atkinson is the proud recipient of two Michelin stars and has now opened both ‘Kenny Atkinson at the Orangery’ and ‘The Brasserie by Atkinson’ at the five star resort, Rockliffe Hall.

After creating the evening’s menu, he will speak about his journey to success and the culture of the restaurant industry.  Focussing on his roots and his ambition he will give an insight into recognising and seizing the right opportunities, ultimately empowering him to become more entrepreneurial.

The dinner will be chaired and facilitated under the guidance of Entrepreneurs’ Forum board member Steven Bell, Chairman of Newman Scott and to also actively contribute to the evening’s proceedings will beNick Holmes, Rockliffe Hall General Manager.

More about our guest speaker....

Kenny Atkinson is director of food, Rockliffe Hall at the five star resort in Darlington.

Before taking up this position, Kenny returned to his roots in July 2008, to take over the executive chef role, managing The White Room restaurant at luxury five star hotel Seaham Hall.  He retained the hotel’s Michelin star in January 2009, just six months after being appointed to the post.

Kenny achieved wider acclaim when he beat off stiff competition to create the starter at the home coming banquet to welcome back members of the British armed forces returning from Afganistan on of the BBC2 TV show, Great British Menu 2009.

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in December 1976, Kenny left school at 16 with six GCSEs and no ambitions.  However, after a stint working with his uncle in the kitchens of the Ravensdene Lodge Hotel, Gateshead, he decided to pursue a career as a chef.  He continued to work at the hotel for nearly two years as a YTS trainee chef.

By 2003, Kenny had moved through the kitchen ranks in a number of different hotels, including commis chef at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, London and sous chef at The Cotswold Hotel, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, in 2002.

Kenny took on his first head chef position when he returned to The Greenway Hotel in 2003, a post he remained in for nearly three years, winning three AA rosettes. He then took the major step of moving to St Martin’s on the Isles of Scilly, in 2006 when he was appointed executive head chef of St Martin’s on the Isle. During his stay on the island, the hotel was named Cornwall restaurant of the year by the Good Food Guide and achieved a Michelin star – the first for an establishment on the Isles of Scilly.

This is a members-only dinner and is charged at £65 + VAT per person. Please be aware, that any cancellations received within72 hours of the dinner will be charged in full. Places are strictly limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis and we urge you to book early to avoid disappointment.

The dinner will commence at 6.45pm therefore guests are advised to arrive at around 6.30pm.

Payment: Payment of all event fees must be made by cheque, bacs or direct debit and be made payable to ‘The Entrepreneurs’ Forum’. Payment of all fees must be made by return of the date of the applicable payment request. Please note that we will have to charge in full for cancellations within 72 hours of the event.

Confirmation of Booking: If you do not receive email confirmation of your booking please contact us to confirm the booking.

Alteration & Cancellation: On occassion it may be necessary to alter the venue and content of the event or the timing of the programme. If we have to alter the date or location of the event this booking will automatically be transferred to the revised date unless told otherwise and these Terms and Conditions shall apply to the transferred booking. Failure to attend the event counts as a cancellation and will incur the full event charge.