McNee, who is a protégé of the late two Michelin-starred chef Andrew Fairlie, joins the restaurant as co-owner Chris Charalambous steps away from the hot plate for the first time since he opened the restaurant with his brother Paul in 2008.
Her decision to join the 28-cover Cail Bruich was influenced by its style of cooking, and the opportunity it offered for her to make her own mark on the menu.
Dishes on her inaugural four-course à la carte menu includes west coast crab with raw Orkney scallop, served with citrus; hand-rolled pasta with broad beans, girolles and truffle; scrabster turbot with kohlrabi and pork sauce.
These dishes will also transfer over to the restaurant's nine-course tasting menu, which also features Perigord duck liver with brioche, caramel and seasonal stone fruit; and Katy Rodger’s crème fraîche with Leadketty strawberries and basil.
McNee joined Restaurant Andrew Fairlie as an apprentice back in 2008, and went on to work her way up the sections to her final position there as sous chef, most recently under Stevie McLaughlin.
Along the way she has made her mark on the Scottish culinary scene collecting a host of awards and accolades including Game Chef of the Year (2016); Scottish Chef of the Year (2017); and in 2019 was crowned 'Champion of Champions' of the BBC’s Great British Menu competition.
“The time was right for me to forge my own path and step up to a head chef role and I am delighted that Paul and Chris have given me the opportunity to run the kitchen at their fantastic restaurant," says McNee.
"I have long been a fan of Cail Bruich so for me this is very exciting.
"Leaving Stevie and the team at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie was hard but I am looking forward to bringing together my own team and for what the future brings in Glasgow.”
