Henry Lapington from Forres is inviting residents to try a taste of Moray at his restaurant in The Station Hotel, Rothes
Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.
A FORMER Forres Academy pupil is calling on the community to try the strictly local ingredients at his restaurant in Rothes.
The Station Hotel’s newly appointed head chef, Henry Lapington, wants everyone to enjoy his menu, which features food grown or reared within a 60-mile radius of Rothes, just half-an-hour from his home town.
He said: “Our team truly believes in the field-to-fork ethos, so we encourage people from the surrounding areas to come and try our food. We’ve worked hard to produce it using only ingredients from neighbouring communities.
“It would be amazing to serve folk from my home town so if you’re up for trying our menu, we would love to have you!”
Henry grew up on Califer road and stayed in Forres until he was 22, before moving to Elgin.
The 27-year-old said: “I got my first job at 15 in a kitchen at the old Mill Inn in Brodie washing dishes.
“I became part of the busy environment and the enthusiasm in the kitchen drew me in to start developing as a chef. I learnt my skills from the guys around me.
“I would also watch every cooking programme going on TV and read everything I could at the library, from Michelin star chef autobiographies to home cook books.
“However, I would say my most beneficial source of knowledge came from the internet.
“Knowledge is the crucial ingredient in making a good chef and the more research I did on products and cooking methods online, the more adapt I became.”
Henry went on to work at the Ramnee Hotel and Simply Red in Forres, as well as The Royal Hotel and The Drouthy Cobbler in Elgin, before settling in Rothes.
He said: “It’s taken years of hard work to create something special in this beautiful hotel.
“Working with local producers here is a bonus because we learn about the process behind the ingredients and appreciate their true form and flavours.
“My team has made something truly special here. The standard of food we serve stands out and makes for a great dining experience.”
He added: “Locally sourced ingredients offer a true taste of Moray, whether it’s buffalo from Dallas, veal, milk or eggs from Fochabers, or foraged produce from Forres, Elgin and Culbin.”