Work has started today within the hotel's 19th Century Old Hall, where The Orangery is based, with plans to include a complete refurbishment of the restaurant, which Atkinson launched as a tasting menu only restaurant last year, and the creation of a walk-in wine cellar.
The restaurant's kitchens will also be extended to help increase production capabilities throughout the day. Currently the restaurant is only open for dinner, but following the completion of the work, it will open for lunch and will also host celebrity chef dinners.
Increased choice
Atkinson, director of food at the hotel, said: "The re-launch of the Old Hall is a significant development especially as our kitchens are being extended and re-organised so that we can offer guests more choice at various times of the day.
"The emphasis will continue to be on authenticity as we become more and more self-sufficient. The greater kitchen space means we can train more chefs in traditional skills, such as butchery for example, and also give guests the chance to meet our team.
“People are so much more interested in the theatre behind food these days and we want to be able to give them the chance to see behind the scenes at special events where we can reveal the faces behind the food and wine. It really is a very exciting time for Rockliffe Hall and to see the business growing even further is great news for the region as a whole.”
The Orangery restaurant will remain closed while work is carried out with plans to re-open on 31 January.
Investment
Although £65m was invested in the building to transform it into a luxury five-star hotel, golf club and spa three years ago, Rockliffe Hall's managing director Nick Holmes said constant re-investment was needed to allow the business to grow and 'remain world-class'.
He said: "This is a substantial investment which is creating new options for our guests, new jobs for people in the region and new opportunities for us as a consistently growing business.
“This whole project is all about bringing Rockliffe Hall’s 19th Century Old Hall to life, all day every day. It’s the hub of the resort and we want all of our visitors to experience it, whether it’s for morning coffee, lunch in The Orangery, afternoon tea, drinks in our cocktail bar or dinner in the evening.”