Multi-award winning chef Sagar Massey is this week launching his own enterprise, ‘Sanja by Sagar Massey’ at the Kirkhouse Inn, Strathblane.
25-year-old Massey, a recent finalist in the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals, has had an illustrious kitchen career, working at two Michelin Star establishments – Restaurant Martin Wishart in Edinburgh and the Isle of Eriska Hotel in Benderloch near Oban – as well as with some of Scotland’s most high-profile fine dining names, including the five-star Mar Hall in Bishopton, Glasgow’s Cail Bruach, and the Marine and Lawn Hotel in Troon.
Raised near New Delhi in India, until leaving for Scotland in 2014, Massey is renowned for using the spices of his homeland to ‘enliven and embolden’ Scottish fine dining, and promises to bring this unique style to his new dining concept at the Kirkhouse Inn.
With interiors designed by celebrity interior designer John Amabile, and a bespoke menu carefully curated to showcase the very best in fine dining, the restaurant will aim to bring world-class food to the charming, historical surrounds of Strathblane, just north of Glasgow, and a short drive from the affluent suburbs of Milngavie and Bearsden.
Massey said: “Having worked in several high-profile restaurants across Scotland it has always been my ambition to launch my own fine dining restaurant and I’m delighted to be opening Sanja at the Kirkhouse Inn.
“The Inn has the perfect balance of being close to Glasgow but also in the midst of some of Scotland’s most beautiful countryside, making it the perfect backdrop for my concept, which blends spices and vibrant tastes with the very best Scottish ingredients and traditions.
“I’m very excited to be launching and bringing a new dining experience to Scotland.”
The Kirkhouse Inn is owned by Brian Home, a former Glasgow chef who has worked at some of the top restaurants in London, France and New York, as well as under the helm of Andrew Fairlie and Michael Roux.
With a history reaching back to 1601, the Kirkhouse Inn features 15 bedrooms as well as the 1601 bar and restaurant, and a landscaped beer garden. Located at the foot of the Campsie Hills, on Strathblane Road, the Inn is on the path of the John Muir Way.
Brian, who was part of the Michelin star winning team at One Devonshire Gardens, said: “We’ve been steadily investing in the Inn over the past few years and are delighted to welcome Sagar and offer this fine dining experience.
“Sagar is a fantastic chef and his style of cooking exceptional. Sanja offers the opportunity for people to enjoy fine dining at its best as well as enjoy a relaxing overnight stay if desired.”
