Marco Pierre White restaurants in Felixstowe seek staff

The top chef is putting his name to two new venues on the Suffolk coast following an investment of more than three quarters of a million pounds.

The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill and pub - which will be called The Queen’s Head - is launching under the chef's franchising arm.

It will be based in The Brook Hotel in Orwell Road - which will also undergo a rebrand.  It is currently a Best Western branded hotel but is being turned into a boutique-style hotel called Hotel Coco.

The newly-rebranded hotel will start welcoming guests in the summer.

Hotel owner Muralee Govindasamy said: “The arrival of a Marco Pierre White restaurant and pub in Felixstowe is great news for the area and we’re delighted to announce that the search is on for additional staff members to join the team.

“We’re expecting a lot of interest from those keen to gain experience of working in an environment created by Britain’s greatest ever chef.

“The standard required will be very high and those who think they’ve got what it takes have to be totally dedicated, professional and will want to strive to be the best in all they do."

A mixture of roles are being created, he said. "We are looking for enthusiastic, determined and dedicated staff with an excellent work ethic to complement the existing staff.”

The no-nonsense chef Marco Pierre White helped kick-start the careers of famous chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal. 

Successful candidates be put through a rigorous training programme to bring them up to the exacting standards demanded by the franchise owner.

Among the jobs in front and back of house are sous chef, commis chef, bartenders, restaurant

To help with the search, Mr Govindasamy and the management team will be holding a recruitment open day on Thursday, April 11, at The Brook Hotel between noon and 7pm.

Those interested are asked to attend with their CV and chat to the team about the plans and what roles are available.

“In the current climate, this is great news from an employment point of view and will go towards helping boost the local economy," said Mr Govindasamy.

"The recruitment open day will be a great opportunity for local people who will be able to pop in to meet the team and see what roles they might be interested in.

“We’re hugely excited and the refurbishment of the hotel and current restaurant and pub will completely capture Marco’s ethos of creating a venue where friends and family can come to enjoy drinks and food in relaxed, comfortable and unpretentious setting.”