FOR a chef who is ardently passionate about freshly grown seasonal ingredients, the Slebech Park Estate in Haverfordwest is a culinary paradise, and one of the major reasons why David Blaey has joined the team as its head chef.

David comes from a background that includes working at senior positions in Michelin Blue Ribbon and three red star establishments over the past 20 years.

David has worked under some iconic chefs including Chris Lelliot (the Waterside Inn) and Giles Thompson (The Ritz, London), and has focused his career on establishments which have concentrated on cooking from fresh and basic ingredients.

“Very often it is the simpler dishes that provide the most pleasure if they are prepared and presented in the right way. All too often people over complicate things only to take away from the real flavours,” said David.

“I consider it a privilege to work as a chef creating dishes to wow customers and seeing the plates come back empty time after time. Here at The Park@Slebech we have the opportunity to use produce of extraordinary quality and to create a dining experience that will be difficult to beat,” he added.

David is creating a culinary team to complement his ambitions; with sous chef Stuart Wills and commis chef Patrik Szenasi joining the existing team.

Slebech Park and the restaurant The Park@Slebech has been created by owners Geoffrey and Georgina Philipps to be something special in Pembrokeshire.

“We are really excited that David and the others have joined us. David’s passion, creativity and dedication to real food will greatly enhance the ‘Slebech Experience’ for our guests,” said Geoffrey.

David has recently introduced his new autumn menus with a strong emphasis on the seasonal food from Pembrokeshire and the Slebech Estate in particular.