Our Chef

Chef Imad is almost as colourful as his food. He grew up in the Lebanon and is inspired to this day by the fresh natural ingredients of his mother’s Lebanese country cooking. Local and seasonal vegetables take centre stage in Imad’s kitchen at the Grovefield House Hotel and he enthuses about the potential of all these ingredients.

Imad is a chef who is in love with food and the art of cooking. This passion has won him reputation and rosettes in the kitchens that he has led – The Bear hotel at Woodstock and The Castle Hotel in Windsor – and in those that he has excelled in – the Michelin-starred Gravetye Manor and Le Meridien in London.
Imad has lived in Britain for 15 years now but, before that, he spent 5 years in Greece making the most of the lifestyle and perfecting the art of preparing and cooking wonderful fresh fish. His cuisine today is perhaps best described as French with a Mediterranean flavour. Highlights of the menu at the Grovefield House Hotel include: scallops with caramelised garlic, coriander puree and sesame reduction; foie gras with a carrot and vanilla emulsion and port jelly and roast saddle of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and baby summer vegetables.

When it comes to puds, the Grovefield Assiette is an absolute must for all chocolate lovers. Imad’s own personal favourite is his sticky toffee pudding. The Grovefield House Hotel has been awarded its second AA rosette and Imad and Imad's team are already hungry for the next one. But what’s very clear is that it’s much more important to him that guests and residents alike enjoy his food and have a great time whilst they’re at the hotel. The quality of his menu is winning him a healthy fan base of regular guests.