Craig Rogan to be executive head chef at Dakota Leeds

With over 12 years of experience as a fine dining chef, he will be tasked with overseeing plans to ‘refine and tailor’ the hotel’s culinary offering.

Rogan has previously cooked at a number of his father’s restaurants including L’Enclume and Fera at Claridges.

Most recently he was head chef at The Grand Hotel in York, during which time the hotel restaurant regained 3 AA Rosettes following a redesign of the menu.

His plans for the Dakota Leeds restaurant will include establishing a clear difference between the experience in the bar and the restaurant, as well as developing the menus to focus more on using seasonal produce sourced from local suppliers.

“I’ve lived in Leeds for a while and have admired Dakota Leeds for some time, so this was an opportunity not to be missed,” says Rogan.

“I’m excited to get started on putting the new plans in place and introduce some exciting menu changes, while respecting those aspects that guests admire about the hotel and restaurant.”

Andrew Creese, general manager at Dakota Leeds, adds that Rogan’s experimental energy and creative flair will help reinvigorate the hotel’s culinary offering.

 “We knew we wanted Craig to work for us as soon as we met him,” he says.

“[Craig] puts his own twist on the latest gastronomic trends, meaning that we can really present one-of-a-kind experiences for guests and help lead the restaurant to even greater culinary heights.”