Rudding Park, Harrogate: Yorkshire hotel to open new immersive dining experience FIFTY TWO with Great British Menu star Adam Degg as head chef and host

Rudding Park, the luxury resort in Harrogate, is in the process of opening a new immersive-style dining experience called FIFTY TWO.

It will open on Thursday, May 16, 2024 and Great British Menu star Adam Degg has been appointed as the head chef and host.

Adam previously work as the head chef at Horto, the contemporary fine dining restaurant at Rudding Park, and was awarded 3 AA rosettes and has worked with many Michelin-starred chefs including Tom Kerridge.

The new dining experience is inspired by the number of raised beds in Rudding Park Kitchen Garden and FIFTY TWO will take its cue from ‘mother nature’ with dishes created using high quality ingredients whilst carefully selected wines, freshly made juices and garden-inspired cocktails that complement the food.

“We have been developing the concept for some time and want guests to feel as though they are at a relaxed dinner party at home with great food and drink, great company and great conversation,” Adam said.

“Given ‘the best parties always happen in the kitchen’, the space is literally an open kitchen, featuring a bespoke seven metre kitchen island. Five tables with social seating offer prime views of the action.

“Like a dinner party with friends, you don’t see a menu in advance and guests place their faith in the cooking skills of the host, so in this case, me and my team!

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“From the moment guests arrive they will be immersed in the Kitchen Garden which they can explore with a drink and snack before making their way through an espalier hornbeam hedge linking the Kitchen Garden to FIFTY TWO.

“Here the evening continues with a series of dishes starting with a selection of snacks, freshly-baked bread and an assortment of plates leading up to our signature sharing dish, followed by desserts and treats.

“A key part of the concept, we want guests to feel at home! We’ll have aprons on hand for those who are keen to get involved, a pack of cards to spark the ‘art of conversation‘ and over pudding, we couldn‘t resist ‘dessert‘ island disc - the chance for guests to select a track for the FIFTY TWO playlist.”

The building is made up of five shipping containers; in honour of its industrial heritage, steel elements have been embedded into the scheme with oversized raw steel window reveals to retain the industrial character of the containers.

The large picture windows and skylights have been cut into the containers to bring the outside in and add a light and airy vibe.

The Kitchen Garden is a focal point of the FIFTY TWO dining experience where Kitchen Gardener, Emma Pugh and her team, grow more than 500 different edible plants. They use organic and no-dig principles and the gardeners enrich the soil with a mix of organic matter so that the crops are packed with nutrients giving the freshest seasonal flavours and textures on your plate.

Resort general manager, Karen Tyson, said: “The importance of providing amazing experiences, memorable for all the right reasons, continues to grow.

“FIFTY TWO is just that – an innovative concept and one we believe will become a Yorkshire destination dining experience.

“Adam is an extremely talented Chef and certainly one to watch – a star in the making!”