Award-winning chef Colin Gannon is the new director of food at The Grand in Southport. Tony McDonough reports

Award-winning chef, Colin Gannon has worked in restaurants across the UK but has now returned to the town where he began his career.

Colin is the new director of food at The Grand in Southport. He has been hired by Merseyside hospitality firm Mikhail Hotels and Leisure Group.  It completed phase one of the £4m restoration of The Grand in July last year.

Mikhail currently operates 11 venues across Liverpool city region, including Cains Brewery in Liverpool. The business has also opened its second hotel in the town, Lord Street Hotel and Sports Bar.

After studying at Southport College, Colin worked in multiple restaurants, hotels, and resorts. His culinary journey took him to The Isle of Man and then to The Channel Islands in the early days before his return to the mainland.

He took up a position at the three AA Rosette-awarded Red Star Hotel, The Rampsbeck Country House in Cumbria before heading further north to Scotland. There, he worked at One Devonshire Gardens, which has been awarded three AA Rosette in Glasgow.

Colin also created dishes at the Red Star-awarded Rookery Hall and the four Red Star and three AA Rosette-winning New Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.

Following that, he took an executive chef role at Shrigley Hall in Cheshire, where he gained rosettes, and at the leading spa resort, The Lodore Falls in Cumbria.

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Most recently, he spent seven years at Champneys Spa Resort, Mottram Hall, where he gained two rosettes.

“I will put all of my skills, learned over many years of working in high-class establishments, into developing my young, dedicated team of chefs at The Grand,” said Colin.

“I have put together some amazing new dishes for The Grand Brasserie and will also relaunch the afternoon tea, making it the best around.”