Well travelled Chef Coalin Finn has been appointed to oversee all kitchen functions across the eight restaurants and bars that make up the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews – including the 3 AA Rosette Road Hole Restaurant and golf’s ‘most famous pub’, the Jigger Inn.
As the resort’s new Executive Chef, Coalin promises to bring in some new ideas, including an emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing, plus more plant-based and ‘well-being focused’ meals.
He arrives in St Andrews with a wealth of experience from some of the UK’s finest establishments, having most recently worked at the 5-star London hotel Claridge’s, as Executive Chef of its restaurant.
Prior to this, Coalin was head chef at the five-star Inverlochy Castle Hotel near Fort William, as well as working alongside Daniel Humm as part of the Sous Team at Davies and Brook, their first Michelin-starred restaurant outside America – with Coalin drawing inspiration from that venue’s significant plant-based offering for the Old Course Hotel’s new Kohler Waters Spa Café menu.
Having grown up in Kilkenny, Ireland, Coalin initially trained as a pastry chef before moving to Dubai to work and train. A relocation back to the UK followed as he took up a place in Gordon Ramsay’s group at the Savoy Grill, before spending time at Pétrus. Notably, Coalin also worked for Claude Bosi at the two-Michelin-starred Hibiscus.
Committed to celebrating local Scottish cuisine, Coalin’s new menus will showcase the destination’s finest seasonal produce.
This April, he will debut a new wellbeing-focused and predominantly plant-based menu at the resort’s Spa Café, offering nutritious super-food and wild rice salads, green goddess sandwiches, roasted vegetables and chia puddings.
Meanwhile, at the resort’s Swilcan Loft and renovated West Deck, brand-new menus will focus on informal sharing options, including Great Glen venison charcuterie platters and Lobster Rolls – the outlet’s signature dish, made using locally caught St Andrews Bay lobster.
Coalin said: “I am honoured to join the exceptional team at Old Course Hotel and to showcase my contemporary interpretation of Scottish cuisine.
“With St. Andrews’ rich culinary heritage and access to incredible local produce, I look forward to creating memorable dining experiences across the resort.”
Resort general manager Phyllis Wilkie said: “We are thrilled to welcome Coalin Finn as our new Executive Chef at Old Course Hotel. His impressive background, innovative approach to cuisine, and commitment to sustainability align perfectly with our vision of offering extraordinary dining experiences.”
