Adam Molloy joined the Rockliffe team in 2024 from the two-Michelin starred Raby Hunt.
We sat down with Head Chef, Adam to talk about his career as a chef so far, how he finds his inspiration for dishes and where is next on his must-visit list.
Adam, tell us how you started your career as a chef?
I started cooking around 11 years ago. At that time I was in a completely different industry – financial trading, and I was kind of looking for my next challenge. A lot of my friends were working in professional kitchens and I wanted to see what that might be like. I’ve always been into food, my parents are really good cooks so there was always classic, comforting food on the go at home. I think that’s probably where my passion started.
Where was your first chef job?
My first chef job was for a Master Butcher. I helped him to open a restaurant and then during that period I spent all my free time travelling and eating at different restaurants which opened my eyes to what else was out there. I realised there was probably more I could do to reach my potential and started to look at what other opportunities might be available to me.
Where else have you worked?
I worked for a period at The Black Swan at Oldstead then went onto Rudding Park which is near where I’m from. I was there for a couple of years and supported during a period of refurbishment and when they were opening Horto. Rudding was a really fun place to work with loads of talented chefs and I had the opportunity to be quite creative there.
So how did you end up working with James Close?
I joined Raby Hunt from Rudding Park and instantly knew it was a place I wanted to be. I was there for seven and a half years before coming to Rockliffe with James and in that time I went from Junior Chef to Head Chef. I loved how at the Raby we were always pushing forward, always challenging ourselves to get to that next level and never standing still. James really drove that culture, and with the move to Rockliffe the sky is really the limit in terms of what we can achieve as we don’t have the same limitations we had as a small, family run business.
Where do you get your inspiration for dishes from?
For me, travel is absolutely integral to enhancing my knowledge and experience. I spend all my time off travelling and trying different restaurants then bringing what I’ve learnt back.
Where has been your favourite meal so far?
My favourite meal so far was at Christian Bau’s three-Michelin starred restaurant in Germany. Just everything about it was so inspiring. The techniques they used were really cool, the produce was unbelievable, and everything was just so fresh and clean.
Where is next on your must-visit list?
I’m planning a trip to California this year and would like to eat at French Laundry, a three-Michelin star restaurant that specialises in Californian cuisine, and at Addison in San Diego which also has three stars. If I have any money left after that I’d also love to visit Japan. The pride taken in production and attention to detail there is unlike anywhere else in the world. The seafood, fruit, veg etc is just amazing.
So for the next few months you’re heading up The French Bistro at TERRA, is this the type of food you enjoy cooking?
I do enjoy cooking this type of food but to be honest when it comes to preparing food for guests the main thing for me is just that they leave happy. We are slightly limited in TERRA as it’s a pop-up space but with the new restaurant opening, we have a chance to really push the limits of what’s possible, make the food sharp and refined and take that experience for the guests to new heights. It’s really exciting.
What are the Chef’s recommendations from The French Bistro at TERRA menu?
All the snacks are delicious and then it’s got to be the Beef Bourguignon!
You can find Head Chef, Adam Molloy cooking in The French Bistro at TERRA Wednesday to Saturday. Look out for updates here and on social media to find out what comes next in our series of seasonal pop-ups.
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