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Rockliffe Hall has announced the appointment of Ken Holland as Head Grower.
The appointment of Ken marks the beginning of the redevelopment of the Walled Garden to supply all of the resort's restaurants with seasonal organic produce.
Following a career in the construction industry, Ken took his deep passion for food and developed it into a growing business. He began his twenty year career in this space by developing his own Walled Garden in Northumberland, where he combined modern and traditional growing techniques to cultivate high‑quality produce. His work quickly gained attention from leading chefs across the UK, establishing him as a specialist supplier.
As his reputation grew, Ken expanded into consultancy, working with chefs and their teams to design and develop productive gardens, plan seasonal crops and cultivate unusual or heritage species. One of the highlights of this work was creating a bespoke micro‑growing environment for the chef team at Google UK’s head office, as well as working with chefs including Sat Bains, Andrew Fairlie, Simon Rogan, Kenny Atkinson and Mark Birchall.
Ken now joins Rockliffe Hall as Head Grower, fulfilling his longstanding ambition to work with James and Maria Close. In this role, he will lead the estate’s growing team and oversee the redevelopment of the kitchen garden, which is being reconfigured to supply seasonal organic produce to all of the resort’s restaurants, including ATLAS James and Maria Close.
Investing in the Future of Rockliffe Hall
Following a multimillion-pound transformation, Rockliffe Hall, the award-winning five-star resort in the North East of England, is re-emerging as a world-class, gastronomy-focused, luxury hotel destination set to fully reopen this summer 2026.
The project, which includes the meticulous renovation of the resort’s Grade II listed building and a new extensive culinary offering led by Culinary Director James Close (previously two Michelin stars at the Raby Hunt), is focused on setting a new benchmark in contemporary luxury hospitality, shaped by exceptional craft and meaningful guest experiences.
Set within 375 acres just outside the village of Hurworth, County Durham, the resort will have 43 rooms and suites and a new collection of six distinctive dining and bar experiences including a newly built, 36-cover standalone restaurant led by James and Maria Close, an all-day dining space, a cocktail bar, the Morning Room for afternoon tea, Café TERRA, and The Clubhouse. The transformation will complement Rockliffe Hall’s already exceptional leisure offering with its award-winning 50,000-square-foot spa, gym, championship 18-hole golf course, tennis and padel courts, and bike hire.
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We are delighted to announce Rockliffe Hall won the coveted ‘Large Hotel of the Year’ award at the Destination North East England Tourism Awards for the fourth consecutive year.
Lewis Hunter joins Rockliffe Hall as General Manager. After honing his craft at some of the UK's most prestigious hotels, Lewis brings a wealth of experience to this role.
Joseph Winders joins Rockliffe Hall as Head Concierge. As a proud member of Les Clefs d'Or for over 25 years, Joseph brings more than three decades of experience to his role.
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