AA Rosette Chef keeps it in the family at Maitlandfield House Hotel
With two AA Rosettes under his belt, Mark de Freitas is keeping it in the family after moving to the Maitlandfield House Hotel in Haddington to take up the role of Head Chef.
Born in Inverness, de Freitas (28) settled in Haddington when he was 12. He has joined his parents Pauline and Nico de Freitas at the Maitlandfield to oversee a change of direction for the hotel’s acclaimed Brasserie.
Previously at The Lake of Menteith Hotel in Perthshire, where he earned his two AA Rosettes, Mark has also worked at The Buttery, Auchterarder House, Cringletie House in Peebles and the Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh. During a spell in Kenya, he worked at the Mara Gypsy Luxury Safari Camp on the edge of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
Commenting on his decision to join the family business at Maitlandfield House, he said; “I have been fortunate to work with a number of very skilled and talented Head Chefs, including Willie Deans, Michael Hobbins and Graham Campbell, who have prepared me perfectly for the role I am now taking on in our family business. The time now seems right and the opportunities are there for us to take the food offering at the Maitlandfield to a new level, delivering simply inspired, hand crafted dishes with a modern approach.”
He continued; “East Lothian is blessed with a tremendous natural larder of fish, seafood, meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy produce. At the Maitlandfield, we will be making full use of this larder and I am very excited by what we can do here to drive home the ‘eat well, eat local’ message.”
Highlights on Mark’s current menu at the Maitlandfield include Slow Braised Lothian Hill Lamb, Pan Seared Stone Bass Fillet and East Lothian Summer Risotto.
The 17th Century Maitlandfield House Hotel in Haddington has been owned by the de Freitas family since 1999. Just 16 miles from Edinburgh and in the heart of Scotland’s Golf Coast, the 25 bedroom hotel lies in beautifully landscaped grounds and includes a Great Hall Conference and Banqueting Suite for up to 200 guests.
With Mark now heading up the kitchen, the family plan to develop the restaurant’s dining experience with an inspired menu of simply prepared dishes drawing on the region’s rich larder of fresh produce. Continued investment in the hotel will ensure that the Maitlandfield’s public areas and bedrooms maintain a country town house feel.
