A 'core part' of the team which helped to launch one of Scotland's most acclaimed restaurants has announced his departure after 23 years.
Well-known in the industry and much-loved by diners, Dale Dewsbury has been General Manager at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie within the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire since 2012.
He has been with the restaurant since it was established in 2001, and has worked alongside head chef Stephen McLaughlin at the helm of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie since the loss of founder, chef Andrew Fairlie, in January 2019.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie was awarded a Michelin star in 2002, within a year of opening, and the second star was added in 2006.
In 2017, the restaurant became the first Scottish establishment included in Les Grandes Tables du Monde, a guide listing 170 of the most distinguished restaurants in the world.
Read more:
- Top chef who quit California for Scotland wins Michelin listing for new restaurant
- Scottish coffee roaster recognised as 'world's best' at top industry awards
- These are 10 of the most luxurious places to stay in Scotland over Christmas
In 2022, Dale was named the winner of the Michelin Guide Service Award as part of the prestigious Michelin Guide prize ceremony. The award was one of five awards which were established to demonstrate the Michelin Guide’s appreciation for the entire restaurant ecosystem, recognising that there is more to consider than the quality of food in creating unforgettable gastronomic experiences.
In 2023, it was named as the UK's top restaurant in Harden's Top 100 Best UK Restaurants, an influential guide which ranks the UK’s best dining destinations as chosen by diners.
Of his departure, Dewsbury said: “This has not been an easy decision, but it has been carefully taken over the last year.
"I will miss everything that is Restaurant Andrew Fairlie – especially the great team and our wonderful guests.
"Having seen the restaurant grow from an idea, into a reality and from a reality to an established point on the gastronomic map, a huge part of my heart will remain with the restaurant and Andrew’s legacy.
“However, with the restaurant performing as strongly as it ever has, and with a team of real quality, longevity and ability, I feel happy and ready to hand over the baton. I’m confident that they will take the restaurant forward in exciting ways.
“It’s been my privilege to be a part of Andrew’s vision for the restaurant and I will always be immensely proud of my small contribution to what has become a leading light of the Scottish restaurant scene.
"From here though, I look forward to following its continued success as a diner.”
Dewsbury began his career working in Country House Hotels, initially at Middlethorpe Hall in York.
However, he cites his time at Llangoed Hall in the Brecon Beacons working for Sir Bernard Ashley as a pivotal time in his career, moving from waiter roles to House Butler.
Within three years the team won the Hotel of the Year award from the AA, The AA’s Courtesy and Care Award for service, and a Michelin Star with Chef Ben Davies.
In 1996, he moved to Scotland to manage Michelin-starred restaurant, Georgian Room on Loch Lomond, before moving to One Devonshire Gardens, where he met Andrew Fairlie.
Shortly after, he moved with Andrew to manage the front of house at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie.
"He’s certainly leaving a Dale-shaped space behind him, but he’s also leaving his exceptional training and culture, which will continue with the strong, talented team we have here at the restaurant.
"We wish him all the best enjoying some more free time, but he’ll always be part of the Restaurant Andrew Fairlie family."
Dewsnury's final service will be in December.
The front-of-house team will continue to be led by Ross Hunter, who has been restaurant manager for ten years.
Kate Fairlie, director at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie said: “As Dale prepares to embark upon this new chapter in his life, I want to express my deepest gratitude for everything he has done during his time as our manager. His dedication, leadership, creativity and passion have transformed not just the restaurant, but the experience of everyone who walked through our doors.
“Dale’s commitment to excellence has hugely inspired me, and I hope he takes this same energy into his new journey, bringing adventure, joy, and the relaxation he so richly deserves. Thank you from the bottom of my heart”.
Based at Gleneagles in Perthshire, the style of the cuisine at restaurant Andrew Fairlie is French, influenced by the best of seasonal Scottish ingredients.
From shellfish at their peak in the winter months, to summer flavours drawn from the restaurant’s own Secret Walled Garden which grows over 250 types of fruit, vegetables and herbs, immense consideration and creativity are given to each dish.
For more information visit www.andrewfairlie.co.uk.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here