Leila Lily’s appoints Masterchef winner as head chef

Masterchef winner Jim Hall has taken the head chef position at Newcastle restaurant Leila Lily’s.

Hall, who joins Leila Lily’s from four AA star Lumley Castle Hotel, at Chester-le-Street, brings more than 20 years’ experience to his new position including stints at hotels and restaurants across the UK and at Ramside Hall Hotel and Mal Maison in the North East.

Along with Leila Lily’s restaurant, Hall will head the team providing bespoke and tasting menus for Eva Rose, the site’s newly opened private dining space.

He said: “Newcastle is a wonderfully diverse and multicultural city and our menus will reflect and celebrate that.

“So, while customers can enjoy quintessentially British flavours – including the steaks and grills we cook on our Mibrasa charcoal oven – they can also experience Asian tastes and textures along with a range of vegan dishes we believe to be among the best in the city.”

Vaz Malhotra, operations director at Leila Lily’s owner Malhotra Group, added: “We are delighted to have attracted a head chef of Jim’s calibre. His ethos of championing local food and cooking it with creativity and flair chimes perfectly with ours and his energy, enthusiasm – not to mention his expertise – will be a great asset to us.”