New chef and general manager mark a new era for Crown Inn at Roecliffe

The Coastal and Country Inns Group has heralded the arrival of chef Paul Murphy and manager Paul Binnington as the start of a new era for the Crown Inn at Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge,

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns, said: “These two appointments are crucially important for the future of the Crown.

“The two Pauls, who are both very experienced and very talented, are a true dream team. They work brilliantly together.”

Paul Murphy, whose previous experience includes building up the Timble Inn near Otley into five-star hotel from scratch and working with legendary chef Frances Atkins at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, said he had never been made to feel more welcome by a community than by Roecliffe.

“Paul and I have had such a wonderful welcome from the village. We are determined to give the village, and the surrounding district, an inn to be proud of,” he said.

“We have completely revamped the menu and are aiming for an AA rosette. We haven’t been here long, but the reaction so far has been brilliant.”

“I am aiming to replicate the success I had at the Timble Inn, which my wife and I ran from 2009 to 2014. Like the Timble, the Crown has immense potential.”

Paul Binnington, who first teamed up with Paul Murphy at the Station Inn in Birstwith, previously ran the Black Lion in Thirsk.

“This is a fabulous opportunity for us both,” he said.