Grantley Hall in North Yorkshire has announced the appointment of three pivotal positions to join its F&B team.

The key appointments, which will bolster the 70-strong team, include Mark Morris as Director of Restaurants and Bars, Alexandra Chlistalla as Food & Beverage Manager and Shane Zhao, Head Chef of Bar & Restaurant EightyEight.

The announcement follows the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall being awarded its first Michelin Star in January.

With over 25 years of experience in the F&B industry, Mark Morris joins Grantley Hall as Director of Restaurants and Bars, in a newly created position for the hotel. He joins from All Work & Social in Manchester where he worked closely with the owner to launch the pioneering concept of integrating work, hospitality and wellness.

Beginning his career in London on the drinks side of the business, Morris opened the highly-acclaimed Milk & Honey. He spent eight years with Gaucho Restaurants before moving to Leeds to oversee the operations for D&D’s northern outlets which included the successful launch of Issho, East 59^th and 20 Stories.

At Grantley Hall, Morris will have overall responsibility for service delivery across the hotel’s restaurants and bars, excluding Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall. He’ll work closely with the F&B team to create campaigns and events to promote the hotel’s diverse food and beverage product to both in-house guests and the local community.

Working closely alongside Mark will be Alexandra Chlistalla, coming on board as Food & Beverage Manager, where she’ll have responsibility for the day-to-day service execution across Fletchers, Bar & Restaurant EightyEight, Norton Bar & Courtyard, Valeria’s Champagne & Cocktail Bar, The Drawing Room, Banqueting in the Grantley Suite and in-room dining.

Prior to joining Grantley Hall, Chlistalla held the position of Food & Beverage Manager at The Grand Hotel in York where she spent several years. During her time at The Grand, a work placement opportunity took Chlistalla to The Jefferson Hotel in Washington where she gained valuable experience Stateside. Beginning her career with Marriott International with whom she spent seven years, working in their Bournemouth and central London properties, mainly London Marriott County Hall. Following that, Chlistalla joined Shangri-La and was based at their hotel in The Shard before moving to Yorkshire.

Weike Zhao (Shane) is passionate about food and the importance of great ingredients. She joins Grantley Hall as the Head Chef of the hotel’s Pan Asian restaurant, Bar & Restaurant EightyEight. With both Australian and Chinese heritage, Zhao began her culinary career in 2009 in Melbourne at Wafu Japanese restaurant.

She then worked at a number of prestigious restaurants in the city before moving to Leeds in 2016 where she established herself as one of the region’s most talented chefs. Prior to joining Grantley Hall, she held the position of Head Chef at the highly-acclaimed Chophaus in Leeds. Other experience includes Executive Head Chef at Issho restaurant and Head Chef at Stockdale of Yorkshire, both holders of a prestigious Michelin Plate as well as Tattu restaurant in Leeds. Zhao also holds two degrees in hotel management and horticulture.

Andrew McPherson General Manager of Grantley Hall comments: “As we look ahead to 17 May, I’m excited to be re-opening with an even stronger F&B team. Our newest team members will join our stellar line-up of incredible culinary talent who have succeeded in propelling Grantley Hall to the forefront of the North Yorkshire dining scene following our opening in summer 2019.”

Adding: “Morris, Chlistalla and Zhao will be working alongside our experienced senior F&B team including Simon Crannage, Executive Chef of Grantley Hall; Craig Atchinson, Head Chef of Fletchers; Stefan Rose, Head Pastry Chef; and Lucy Hyder, Banqueting Chef.”