NEW head chefs have joined award winning Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa at Bolton Abbey.

Paul Evans has taken over as head chef of the Burlington Restaurant, while Nick Sharp has been appointed to the newly created role of head chef of The Brasserie.

Paul replaces Adam Smith, who has moved to Coworth Park, near Ascot, part of the Dorchester Group. Paul, who has an impressive track record, joins The Devonshire from the acclaimed Michelin-starred Lords of the Manor Hotel in the Cotswolds, where he was senior sous chef.

His commitment to his craft, strong leadership qualities and continuous record of working in Michelin-starred establishments including L’Enclume in The Lake District, The Waterside Inn at Bray and The Crown at Whitebrook make him a strong candidate to head up one of the best hotel restaurants in Yorkshire.

The creation of Nick Sharp’s new role is a direct result of the steady sales growth achieved by the hotel and will allow for even greater improvement to the ever-popular Brasserie which has now developed a new ‘al fresco’ dining area for the summer months.

Nick recently worked for the Q Hotel Group as roving head chef, a role in which he used his 11 years of experience to develop the group’s 26 hotels countrywide. Before, he was consultant head chef for gastro pub The Fleece Inn in Haworth, and in his native Scotland was responsible a AA rosette rating for The Inch Hotel - or the Inchnacardoch Country House Hotel - and at Noriz Restaurant in Perth.

General manager Adam Dyke said: "We are very much looking forward to welcoming Paul and Nick to The Dev, they are both fabulous chefs and will bring a wide range of experience between them. We are of course sad to see Adam go but we are looking to the future and we are very happy with our new appointments and re-structure of the business. It’s a really exciting time of positive change."

Paul and his family will soon be setting up home in the Yorkshire Dales. As well as cooking, Paul’s other great love is football and he is a keen Liverpool supporter.

Nick is looking forward to spending more time based in Yorkshire with his family, and also adds a degree in photography to his creative talents.