AN ambitous chef is hoping to make an Otterburn hotel just as renowned for its food as it is for its rooms.

Paul Cook and his partner Gemma Horey have bought Coach House Hotel, which sits within the Otterburn Hall Estate.

Previous owner Julie Blackie transformed the 19th century Grade II-listed Coach House into one of the go-to hotels in the region, but Paul hopes to make food a more important part of life at the 14-bedroomed hotel.

Having worked formerly as a chef for Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, he then moved to Horton Grange in Dinnington, before moving to Scotland where he worked for 26 years. He runs a similar hotel and restaurant business to the Coach House in Stirling.

“We think we have got something to offer in such a lovely setting,” he explained.

“When I came down and saw it I thought it’s in a great place in an up and coming area and it’s very manageable.

“At the moment it is very much an overspill for the local wedding venues with a lack of bedrooms, which is something it’s useful for – it’s a beautiful setting and a beautiful building – but we want to have more food on offer. It has a country house feel and people might think it’s going to be a bit posh, but its not; it’s clean and tidy and looks good, but it will just be a relaxed atmosphere with good quality food, using local ingredients where possible.”

Paul and Gemma took over the hotel around six weeks ago, and are currently running it mainly as a B&B before the launch of their menu in July.

Gemma, who has left her job as a speech therapist, has taken on the role of running the hotel, while Paul will spend his time in the kitchen.

Paul said they were looking into introducing different events throughout the year, such as cocktail making classes and afternoon teas, and have already made initial inquiries to get a wedding licence.