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Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Truffled rabbit legs, a touch of yuzu* and plates of Granny Erskine's shortbread... how Andy and Kim could swap Grand Slams for Michelin stars
Midway through a hitherto flawless fine dining experience, I wonder if it is possible that the kitchen has gone rogue. I have just been presented with a dish that I did not ask for. Rabbit was the starter on the à la carte menu that I instinctively avoided. Now, here was a serving of it arriving as a surprise intermediate course, compliments of the chef. It is, I am told, a 'signature dish'. He feels I should give it a try. It is not the first time James Mearing has flirted with danger in matching his culinary artistry with choosy palates. He did it six months ago when the stakes were very much higher. He was applying for the job of executive head chef of Cromlix, the magnificent mansion house hotel in Stirlingshire owned by tennis star Andy Murray and his wife Kim. His challenge was to rustle up two courses in two hours and present them to a panel of the hotel's top brass, including the departing chef Darin Campbell and Mrs Murray herself. How was he to know that salmon was not a dish to which she was partial? With the clock ticking and flying solo in a kitchen he had never set foot in before, he set about preparing his salmon starter, pairing it with cucumber, dill and the Japanese citrus fruit yuzu. He followed this up with a main course of venison, which highlighted his penchant for 'celebrating the product' by incorporating multiple uses of the meat in the finished dish. Mr Mearing was the latest in a series of candidates to cook for Mrs Murray and her team in the nerve-shredding final phase of the recruitment process – and he was painfully aware of the exacting standards they were seeking. Weeks earlier, the hotel was among a small batch of recipients of a Michelin key – a new award recognising the best places to stay across the globe. Clearly, they would now be shooting for a Michelin star for their restaurant. Could this London-born 41-year-old be the man to earn one for them? 'It's always challenging coming into a kitchen that you've never been in before,' he tells me. 'But this one was particularly fast-paced – having to produce high-level food within two hours.' He adds: 'I think my nature is probably intrinsic to quite a lot of chefs. We are constantly seeking perfection and our day-to-day is that never-ending search for perfection that doesn't really exist.' How close to perfect could his efforts possibly be in an alien kitchen, with no one to assist him, a time frame allowing no margin for error and a key judge who, unbeknown to him, did not enjoy salmon? Well, he had given it his best. The phone call came later that day as he, his Spanish wife Melissa and their two young children began their eight-hour drive home to Dorset. It was hotel manager Barry Makin – one of the tasting panel – telling him that the job was his. Normally they would have deliberated for a few days and let the process run, he told the chef, before adding: 'But it was clearly you by a long way.' And the verdict from Mrs Murray? 'Chef James's food is incredible. I didn't used to like salmon, but he has totally converted me with the way he cooks it.' So who is the culinary wizard confounding his new employer's expectations of dishes she thought were not for her? Certainly he is no stranger to kitchens dripping with accolades. He was, until he started at Cromlix in February, executive chef at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Restaurant in Evershot, Dorset, where he held three AA rosettes. Prior to that, at the Gainsborough Bath Spa he was instrumental in their securing three rosettes and he worked at the Michelin-starred Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds. So how does he fancy his chances of complementing Sir Andy's tennis glories with elite status in the no less competitive world of fine dining? 'Our ambition is to be the best we can be and be better tomorrow than we were today,' he says. 'A Michelin star takes a great level of work and consistency and imagination and creativity and drive and we will put every bit of that into our work. But, ultimately, we cook for our guests, and we cook for each other a bit as well. 'If the combination of all that work and endeavour is a Michelin star then we would be incredibly honoured and thrilled, but we can only hope to reach those heights. We certainly can't presume that we will.' On arrival for dinner and an overnight stay, the first offering I sample is not in the restaurant but in the bedroom. And the recipe is not Mr Mearing's but Granny Erskine's. Yes, Andy Murray's maternal grandmother Shirley, 91, is the brains behind the complimentary shortbread which greets every guest. If it was good enough to become a family fixture at Wimbledon and for her daughter Judy to hand round when she was appearing on Strictly, then it is good enough too – easily – to form a delightful personal touch in five-star accommodation. What she must make of her grandson now becoming an ambassador for a rival operation – Walker's Shortbread – is another matter. My pre-dinner gin is created with botanicals grown on the 34-acre Cromlix estate – and much that finds its way onto the menu comes from the 'kitchen garden' outside. Eschewing the rabbit starter with barely a glance, I order the 'cured Mowi Scottish salmon mosaic, teriyaki slaw, ponzu, furikake beetroot, kombu dashi' and refrain from sharing that I am far from clear what some of these ingredients are. The chef explains: 'We are trying to highlight that produce in a beautiful way, so we cure it and it's just really delicately treated.' Is the salmon even cooked? I am getting a dreamy sushi vibe. 'It's actually just really gently poached… and it's seasoned with some spring onions and spring produce that we are having through the door and that's what gives that kind of mosaic effect.' The effect for me – unlike Mrs Murray, a salmon lover – is exquisite. How is it possible to have eaten this fish so many times and yet be discovering it anew? And so to the dish I never ordered: duo of rabbit, stuffed saddle, truffled leg terrine, BBQ leek, pickled walnut, truffle jus. 'Generally, in a menu, rabbit is not something you see too often,' says the chef. 'So that is an important part of what we do – to try to offer our guests something they can't just do at home or see every day.' It was a former mentor who helped start him on his rabbit epiphany. 'I remember vividly the turn that my experience in the kitchen took when I had a great chef and we were so passionate about the food we could talk about it and say, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could do this?' He was like, 'Do it. Put it on a plate. Let's give it a try. It might work.'' Well, in the same spirit, I am giving it a try – and now trying more and more. Suddenly I am gushing with gratitude for this extra dish, the bounty of unexplored flavours it has unlocked, the panache of the presentation. His twist on it is a running theme in his cooking. He uses the whole animal – saddle, shoulder, legs, carcass, the lot – and creates terrine and jus accompaniments whose root ingredient is the creature itself. As Mrs Murray before me was converted to salmon, so I am converted to rabbit – from this kitchen at any rate. We move to the main event – 'salt aged St Bride's duck, poached rhubarb, baked kohlrabi, red chicory, five spice duck jus'. Mr Mearing presents it in person at my table and, as he explains the dish, gently pours some of that five spice duck jus onto my plate. The root ingredient here is a roasted mixture of the wings and carcass. 'The duck is another great one where we use the whole bird,' he says, almost superfluously. Of course they do. It is the Mearing way – 'celebrate the product'. And, in doing so, perhaps, reintroduce it to those who assume they know it already. I was duly enchanted by this delicate melange of the finest Scottish produce, garden grown delights and the lightest tickle of Asian influence that is a recurring theme in his cooking. What, then, is Mr Mearing's management style in the quest for perfection. Does he turn the air blue in the kitchen like some chefs we know? 'Certainly far from Gordon Ramsay,' he says. 'Very calm. That goes into my approach to cooking and managing my team as well. 'I want Cromlix to be an incredible experience for our guests, but I really want it to be an incredible journey for the people that come and join the team here too. 'I'm trying to create a space of nurturing and creativity so that it will be a part of their story that they can say 'I was at Cromlix' and they wear that like a badge they are proud of.' Clearly, the hotel near Dunblane where the Murrays used to go for family celebrations has also been on a journey since the tennis star bought it for £1.8million months before winning his first Wimbledon in 2013. He and his bride had their wedding reception there in 2015 and, in recent years, she has played an increasingly prominent role in shaping it. Apart from its tennis court – complete with an umpire's chair once used in a match between Murray and Roger Federer – there are few nods to the illustrious sporting career of its co-owner. The feel is of a luxury woodland retreat, an oasis of calm and rural opulence just two miles from the A9 dual carriageway which you soon forget is even there. Laid out on the floor and on pegs in the entrance hall is a selection of Barbour wellies and waxed jackets for anyone who fancies taking a stroll around the grounds. There is a croquet lawn and garden chess. The rooms are named not after tennis tournaments but wild flowers growing on the estate. I was in Allium – whose enormous bathroom is justifiably described as 'show-stopping' – and next door was Fennel. All were given the personal Kim Murray touch in a 2023 refurbishment. And she has not finished yet. In January the hotel will close for four months while a new 70-cover restaurant wing and three ground-floor bedrooms are added. The stately 'garden room', meanwhile, will be transformed into an intimate, fine dining 'tasting menu' restaurant and the glasshouse – where meals are currently served – will be given over exclusively to afternoon tea. For Mr Mearing, the owners' sense of ambition was a key reason why he wanted the job so badly, even if it did mean uprooting his family from the south coast of England. He says: 'If you've got owners that are so passionate and pouring so much into the place then you know that you're on a journey and it's going somewhere, and that's great.' Now that he knows the hotel is on their radar, does he think he'll know the next time Michelin experts are in his midst? Well, he says, the hotel had no idea anyone had been there prior to its award of a Michelin key. 'That's the beauty of it because, every day, you have to set out to reach that level. That's why, as I say, we just try to be the best we can be for our guests. You can't just put on a show for one day, knowing that someone is coming. 'You just have to operate at that level and see what comes.' Although Mr Mearing has cooked on a number of occasions for Mrs Murray, the challenge of catering for her other half – a sushi and Asian food lover – awaits. The two have yet to meet. When they do, the tennis star may advise chef on which school to choose for his children, Molly-Jane, three, and Matteo, one. Currently their mum is looking at Murray's old one, Dunblane Primary. I can already advise Murray on what to choose when he next swings by Cromlix for a bite. Go for the salmon, Andy. And the rabbit. And the duck. They're gamechangers.
The Herald Scotland
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Andy Murray hotel cited as Scots hotels shine in April
The performance defied wider trends across the UK which saw profits and room rates fall, according to the latest RSM Hotels Tracker. The report highlighted the appeal of the luxury hotel offer in Scotland, and cited investment in prestigious destinations such as Cromlix, Sir Andy and Kim Murray's luxury hotel near Dunblane. 'Scotland's hotel sector was hit with a double whammy in April as hoteliers battled with a rise in employment costs combined with deflationary pressure on room rates. However, they still managed to offset the increase in employment costs and generate a rise in profits, against the downward trend seen in the wider UK market, which saw a fall in daily rates and loss of profits,' said Stuart McCallum, partner and head of consumer markets in Scotland at RSM UK. 'Despite last month's bump, and higher overheads in April, it seems the industry is managing these cost pressures well while maintaining its large workforce. Much of Scotland's hotel footfall comes from international tourists seeking luxury stays, with hotels continuing to invest in their facilities and services to offer visitors a range of experiences including fine dining, whisky tasting and bespoke packages. 'We've seen a shift in behaviour from tourists visiting Scotland as they trade up their accommodation for more high-end stays, with hoteliers mirroring this trend to focus on quality over cost-cutting. Sites such as Cromlix House and The Glenturret have enhanced their offerings with exclusive whisky tastings, excursions and private dining, which aside from boosting Scotland's economy outside of Edinburgh, will grow revenue and compensate for extra payroll costs.' Read more: Data compiled and produced by Hotstats and analysed by RSM show hotel payroll costs, as a percentage of revenue, in Scotland increased from 31.7% to 32.4% in April year-on-year, and from 31.6% to 33.3% in the UK. Average daily rates (ADR) of occupied rooms in Scotland increased from £125.57 to £126.33 in April year-on-year, but fell in the UK from £138.29 to £137.54 during the same period. Increased demand meant revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 3.8% year-on-year to £97.12 in Scotland, and by 3% in the UK. Scotland also saw gross operating profits rise from 28.2% in April 2024 to 30.3% in April 2025. However, UK RevPAR was not enough to offset the increase in costs, with gross operating profits dipping from 31.8% to 30.1%. Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM UK, said: 'The RSM Hotels Tracker backs up two trends that we have seen elsewhere in the economy. First, the disruption from US tariffs and subsequent surge in uncertainty last month doesn't seem to have stopped consumers from spending money. Indeed, we saw stronger retail sales, hotel bookings and pub spending in April. This is probably a reflection of UK households' real incomes rising strongly over the past few years and, ultimately, that is a bigger driver of UK consumer spending than US trade tariffs. 'Second, even though headline CPI inflation jumped to 3.5% in April, this was almost entirely down to utility, tax rises and the late Easter. We saw little evidence of firms passing on the increase in employment taxes and that is backed up by the data for hotels. 'Admittedly, the economy will weaken in Q2 and is now facing a series of headwinds, including tariffs, uncertainty, higher taxes and slower global growth, which it wasn't facing at the start of the year. That means growth will probably come in around the same as last year at a little over 1%. But the signs suggest that consumers are getting a bit more comfortable with opening their wallets, which will be a strong tailwind to offset all those headwinds.'
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Andy Murray's Cromlix wins big at 'hotel Oscars'
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is a beautiful sunny evening when we visit Cromlix, the five-star luxury hotel in Dunblane that is owned by Andy and Kim Murray. Before dinner in The Glasshouse, we have a refreshing gin cocktail in the garden. It's the kind of evening where a location - and grounds - such as this come into its own. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The colourful array of potted tulips, bobbing in the breeze as the sun sets, showcases more than just decoration. They are part of a wider sustainability drive to use only home-grown flowers in the hotel. Head gardener Kathy Beckett is also working closely on the kitchen garden with new executive head chef James Mearing, who moved to Scotland from his role as executive chef at the three AA Rosette Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Restaurant in Evershot, Dorset. Cromlix exterior | Contributed These culinary and horticultural changes are the seasoning to another huge change that is coming to Cromlix. The team submitted plans in October last year for a new restaurant and kitchen and three new bedrooms, with the proposal now approved. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This means that a new 80-cover restaurant will replace the hotel's existing dining space, The Glasshouse, and will be an extension to the existing footprint of the Victorian mansion, sitting in a new location overlooking the hotel's extensive back lawn. The Glasshouse will remain a dining space, but will be used mainly for afternoon teas and private events. A new fine dining restaurant space is also in the pipeline where the garden room private dining space is. General manager Barry Makin explained this new space, saying: 'There will be 16 covers and we can really push the boat out and let the chef loose, if you like, with his artistic culinary skills.' Cromlix Afternoon Tea | Contributed Three new ground-floor bedrooms will also be created within the main building, converting kitchen space into an accessible suite and two cottage rooms. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An additional bedroom is also being added onto the first floor, meaning that in total the main house will go from 15 bedrooms to 19, with a further bedroom in the Gate Lodge. All of this comes after an extensive refurbishment in 2023, a project overseen by Kim Murray, which saw the renovation of all of the bedrooms and bathrooms, the creation of a new bar area and entrance, and the upgrading of the restaurant and all other common areas of the hotel. The new Cromlix restaurant render | contributed The refurbishment has led to the hotel winning AA Scottish Hotel of the Year, Independent Hotel of the Year and Chef of the Year at the Scottish Excellence Awards. Earlier this month Cromlix was awarded best boutique hotel and best historic hotel at the 'Hotel Oscars', the Innis and Gunn Prestige Hotel Awards. The venue was also awarded a Michelin Key in late 2024 , one of 15 Scottish hotels to receive the new accolade and one the team hope may entice Michelin Star inspectors to their new restaurant. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Makin said: 'We're very much on Michelin's radar [after having been awarded a Michelin Key] and they'll be coming every year to inspect us. When we have this restaurant [The Glasshouse], which is all things to all men. It's very hard to get the level and consistency to deliver the Michelin experience. 'But not everyone wants that when they come here, so we kind of have to be a bit of a hybrid at the moment. But what we will have is the [new] larger restaurant, which will be more relaxed. But if you really want to come for a fine-dining experience, then the 16-seat restaurant is more at that level. 'Our aspiration is to have Michelin-standard food without question. That is why we are putting on the fine dining restaurant. 'The space works well at the moment as a private dining space, so for us to take that away four days a week, and put in a fine dining restaurant, we have to make sure that it's special - four rosettes, Michelin-standard special. I'd like to think we can achieve four rosettes in that space [given the restaurant has 3 AA rosettes at the moment].' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As for what will be on the menu? Anyone who has visited Cromlix for dinner will know there is a seasonal tasting menu and a la carte offering. Mr Mearing is putting his stamp on things with dishes such as salt aged St Bride's duck, cured Mowi Scottish salmon and duo of rabbit, with vegetarian options available. But when it comes to the new fine dining offering, Mr Mearing said he wants to 'really strike a difference'. He said: 'There will be whole new concepts as well as menus. If guests are staying with us for multiple nights, we really want them to have different dining experiences each night. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our ambition is to really capture the connection between the estate , the garden and the kitchen. The big thing for me in my cooking is trying to be ultra seasonal and local and you can't get any more local than what's been grown and foraged from the garden.'
Scottish Sun
18-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Andy Murray's luxury five-star Cromlix resort serves up a double win at Hotel Oscars
The Wimbledon winner bagged trophies in two different categories for the luxury resort Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) He may have retired from playing tennis, but Andy Murray is still winning trophies – this time with his wife Kim for their hotel Cromlix. The Oscars of the hotel world were presented to the very best in Scotland in a lavish ceremony in Glasgow on Thursday night marking the latest edition of the hotly contested, highly-valued Innis and Gunn Prestige Hotel Awards. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Sir Andy in his dive-star hotel, in the Stirlingshire countryside Credit: Verena Splett 7 Cromlix beat Dalmunzie Castle, an 18-bedroom Baronial building in Blairgowrie 7 Mabie House Hotel , Dumfriesshire also lost out to Cromlix Finalists from all over Scotland attended the ceremony which was hosted by Des Clarke and saw the cream of the hospitality industry attend. Cromlix was crowned Best Boutique Hotel, beating off challenges from Brambles of Inveraray and The Leddie in Aberlady, East Lothian, which were both highly recommended. The hotel, a Victorian Mansion build in 1874 in Dunblane, Stirlingshire, also picked up the award for Best Historic Hotel, seeing off Dalmunzie Castle Hotel in Blairgowrie, Dornock Castle Hotel in Dornock and Mabie House Hotel in Dumfries. Cromlix has just 15 rooms and suites, all individually decorated and costing upwards from £390 a night, as well as a self-contained Gatehouse Lodge, perfect for families. Of course there's tennis courts and guests can get borrow rackets to hit a few balls around- there's even private coaching on offer but not from Sir Andy, sadly. Twice-Wimbledon winner Andy, 38 and Kim, 37, bought Cromlix in 2012 for a reported £1,8 million and tied the knot there three years last. The couple didn't attend in order to let their team enjoy the spotlight of the wins, including general manager Barry Makin, who was highly recommended in the Best GM category Cromlix was named hotel of the year in the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards and just weeks later the hotel's Glasshouse restaurant was awarded a prestigious Michelin Key. It was also crowned Independent Hotel of the Year at the Scottish Excellence Awards last year. Awards Director Warren Paul said at the ceremony: 'Of course there's a lot of eyes on Cromlix thanks to the Murrays but for us and our title sponsors Innis and Gunn, every winner or Highly Recommended recipient here is a star. Moment Andy Murray holes stunning putt from off the green in challenge match with brother Jamie - but rivals have last laugh 'They're all the very best operators in Scotland, delivering amazing service and much- needed escape from the rigours of modern life. 'We all need time out to rest, recover, recharge – especially right now – so our world-class, in fact world-beating hospitality industry should be celebrated and shouted from the rooftops. 'Whatever you want to do, you can find it in Scotland – and here tonight. From the perfect wedding hotel to the most incredible hotel bar in the heart of Glasgow's music city, country retreats, island hotels, bustling city breaks, cosy retreats for private rental, all of it. 'We have it all, Scotland really is special and the offerings in this trade are stellar. That's why we are here – to showcase the results of the hard work by so many people, and to recognise and thank them.' 7 Beautiful rooms at Cromlix 7 Andy and Kim in the hotel after Kim oversaw a major redesign 7 Andy and KIm leave Dunblane Cathedral after their wedding on April 11, 2015 Credit: Getty - Contributor
The Courier
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel picks up two awards at prestigious ceremony
Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel was the big winner at a prestigious awards ceremony, scooping two awards. The Dunblane hotel was named best boutique and best historic hotel at the Innis and Gunn Prestige Hotel Awards on Thursday. The ceremony, held at Glasgow's Radisson RED hotel, also saw winners from Tayside and Fife. St Andrews hotel Rusacks collected two accolades, including best five-star and best hotel restaurant. The Parklands Hotel in Perth and Edzell's Glenesk Country House Hotel and Spa each won awards for four-star premises. Awards director Warren Paul said: 'Of course there's a lot of eyes on Cromlix, but for us and our title sponsors Innis and Gunn, every winner or highly recommended recipient here is a star. 'It's worth saying the calibre of the people here tonight is quite incredible. 'Whatever you want to do, you can find it in Scotland – and here tonight. 'We have it all, Scotland really is special and the offerings in this trade are stellar. 'That's why we are here – to showcase the results of the hard work by so many people, and to recognise and thank them.' Murray, who co-owns the Cromlix with his wife Kim, had been coaching former tennis rival Novak Djokovic until this week. Both he and Kim didn't attend the ceremony, letting their team enjoy the spotlight of the wins instead.
