News Beat
Black Horse Beamish appoints Dave Wastell as new head chef
Black Horse in Beamish welcomed Dave Wastell to the team in November, after making him their new executive head chef.
Wastell began his culinary career in 1977 at just 16-years-old – and has gone on to cook with the Armed Forces, on international cruise ships and led the production kitchen for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In 2010, he also completed the prestigious Master Chef Society course, being ranked chef number 615 out of 3,000.
But now, he’s hoping to bring fresh ideas and flavours for diners in Beamish – having already introduced Pangasius, a South-East Asian fish, to the menu.
Wastell said: “I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved, and now I’m able to pass that knowledge on. Training and developing my team is one of the best parts of my job.
“I’m looking forward to experimenting with different dishes, ingredients, and methods – seeing what resonates with our customers and refining what works.”
“I want guests to feel fulfilled, satisfied, and excited to return.”
This comes as Black Horse has had its fair share of he limelight this year – having been described as “an idyllic country escape in County Durham” by Lifestyle blogger New Girl in Toon this summer.
Praising her room, the blogger also heralded the food at the pub – describing her meal as “a real treat”.
“Their traditional country pub serves seasonal dishes made with fresh, local ingredients,” she wrote.
“I went for the Black Horse Beamish Burger stacked with mature cheddar, streaky bacon, gherkin ketchup and crispy onion rings — delicious.”
Black Horse is ranked number four out of six Beamish restaurants out of six, and has a 3.7 star average rating on TripAdvisor.
