This autumn and spring, the Old Course Hotel & Resort is proud to host two exceptional culinary experiences. An Evening with Alex Dilling and An Evening with Rachel Allen. These exclusive events will bring you two celebrated chefs joining forces with our Road Hole Restaurant team to create menus that are truly unforgettable.
Earlier this year, our executive head chef, Craig Windeburgh, led both visiting chefs on a tour of the region, introducing them to the local suppliers who help define our menus. “We’re incredibly lucky to have outstanding suppliers right here on our doorstep in Fife,” says Craig. “It was a real pleasure to introduce Alex and Rachel to places like Blacketyside Farm, where we source incredible strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, and our fish merchant in St Monans where the catch comes straight off the boat. The quality of the ingredients here really sets the tone for what we do.”
First to take the stage in the Road Hole Restaurant is Alex Dilling, the chef behind the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Hotel Café Royal in London. The American-born chef trained under some of the world’s most respected culinary figures – including Alain Ducasse and the late Joël Robuchon – and combined with a modern sensibility, has earned him widespread acclaim.
Known for his precise, elegant take on French cuisine, Alex was particularly inspired by the quality of the Old Course Hotel’s setting – and by the active golf-loving guests who dine with us. “I love the energy around golf, it’s the same buzz and the people,” he says. “Refined comfort food felt like the right fit – elevated dishes that are elegant, but also generous and satisfying.”
While Alex is served with his take on modern French techniques such as salmon rillettes made with smoked and fresh salmon paired with caviar, Rachel Allen’s springtime menu will showcase her heritage cooking she learnt from Myrtle Allen, her husband’s grandmother and the founder of Ireland’s iconic Ballymaloe House.
Rachel is one of Ireland’s best-loved culinary personalities, renowned for her warm approach to cooking and entertaining. She has 16 cookbooks to her name, teaches at Ballymaloe Cookery School and has introduced Irish home cooking to TV audiences worldwide. Her dishes blend comfort, tradition and seasonal freshness, reflecting the best of Irish food culture.
