Andrew Fairlie to step down from Gleneagles due to terminal illness
The Times reports this morning that the chef, 54, will hand over the reins of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant to head chef Stevie McLaughlin, general manager Dale Dewsbury and his business partner Gregor Mathieson on 1 February.
Fairlie was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 but was told in June this year that there was no further treatment available.
The chef told the paper that giving up his kitchen was the “hardest part” of leaving Gleneagles.
He said: “The fact that I’ll never be back, never have that buzz and atmosphere of the kitchen again, was very emotional. But it’s dangerous for me to be there. I’d just be a liability.
“I had so many sleepless nights worrying that my life’s work would turn to dust. My worst case scenario was that Gleneagles would take back the space and give it to some other chef. I am very grateful that it is not the case and that my legacy will continue.”
Fairlie began training as a chef aged 15, and was the first ever winner of the Roux Scholarship in 1984.
He has worked as a chef around the world, including at Paris’ Hotel Crillion and on the Royal Scotsman train as part of the Orient Express.
He won a Michelin star at One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow in the 1990’s, before leaving to open Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in 2001.
The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2002, with a second following in 2006. It maintains the accolade to this day, making it the only two-starred restaurant in Scotland.
