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MAIDSTONE CARE HOME CELEBRATES CHEF ACADEMY GRADUATE
Staff and residents at Rose Water Place Care Home in Maidstone are celebrating after their second chef, Mitch Horgan, graduated from Barchester’ s Chef Academy.
NEW COURTYARD KITCHEN TO LAUNCH AT CHAPEL HOUSE ESTATE
Chapel House Estate has announced the launch of The Courtyard Kitchen, a new open-fire dining space for weddings, events and guests at the estate’ s number nine restaurant that’ s set to open later this month.
Located on the outdoor terrace behind the Glass Courtyard, The Courtyard Kitchen has been created as a relaxed, sociable setting centred around live-fire cooking, seasonal produce and shared dining.
A defining feature is its open kitchen, set beneath exposed timber beams and softly lit by hanging lights. Guests will be able to watch the chef’ s work across a bespoke barbeque grill with a fire brick base, alongside a traditional spit roast where meats and vegetables are slow-cooked over open flames.
The courtyard itself has been designed with brick walls, climbing greenery and vegetable and fruit planters, with intimate banqueting tables arranged throughout the space. By day, the courtyard will be bright and vibrant, but by evening it will transform into a cosy, candlelit space ideal for shared feasts, celebrations and gatherings.
For couples celebrating their wedding at Chapel House Estate, the introduction of The Courtyard Kitchen does not alter the way the outdoor courtyard is typically used or styled. The space will continue to be arranged according to each couple’ s vision, retaining the atmosphere and flexibility that has become a key feature of the venue.
Rose Water Place Care Home is operated by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’ s largest care providers, delivering high-quality care and support across a nationwide network of care homes and hospitals.
The Chef Academy is designed to help chefs hone their skills and learn new ones, covering many different modules including cooking for residents living with dementia, budgeting, balancing flavours, minimising wastage, presentation skills and more.
Mitch Horgan first joined Barchester as a kitchen assistant and has progressed through the ranks to become a second chef. Reflecting on his experience, he said:“ I really enjoyed taking part in the academy and getting to know the other Barchester chefs. We shared recipes, tips and best practices which was great fun. I constantly like to improve our food and hospitality services for our residents, so the academy was perfect for this.”
DEV BISWAL CELEBRATED AT ASIAN FOOD AND RESTAURANT AWARDS
Dev Biswal, owner-chef of The Cook’ s Tale and Cafe Marrakech, has been named National Chef of the Year at the Asian Food and Restaurant Awards. His culinary tour company, The Cook’ s Adventures, also received a Culinary Tourism accolade, recognising its inbound and international gastronomic experiences.
The Cook’ s Tale has further cemented its reputation with inclusion in the 2026 edition of Harden’ s Best UK Restaurants, stating that the:‘ exciting fusion cooking using adventurous ingredients … which promoted the cuisine of Odisha in East India … is always interesting and delicious’.
The Asian Food and Restaurant Awards is an annual black-tie dinner event celebrating excellence across the Asian food and hospitality sector, and the individuals driving Britain’ s food industry forward.
Dev’ s latest venture, Cafe Marrakech, which launched in November 2025, is already receiving rave reviews. Inspired by North African flavours after recruiting a Moroccan chef to join his brigade at The Cook’ s Tale, he quickly added the destination to his now award-winning culinary tours operation, The Cook’ s Adventures. www. insidekent. co. uk • 89