Martin Blunos joins Crown Hotels in Wales as executive chef

Former Michelin-starred chef Martin Blunos (pictured centre, with Tim McDougall, left, and James Sommerin, right) has joined Crown Hotels, owner of the Crown restaurants at Whitebrook and Celtic Manor in Wales, as executive chef.

Blunos, whose former restaurant Lettonie in Bath held two Michelin stars before it closed in 2001, has been appointed to help the company grow its restaurant business.

He joins executive chef James Sommerin, who oversees the Michelin-starred Crown at Whitebrook, and head chef Tim McDougall, who is in charge of the Crown at Celtic Manor.

In his new role, Blunos has been tasked to expand Crown Hotels' restaurants into new areas.

The chef said he was excited and delighted. "There are some enormously exciting things happening in the world of cooking in Wales and the Crown restaurants have consistently been at the vanguard of these developments over the years," said Blunos.

"It is my intention to ensure that these opportunities develop further over the short, medium and long term."

David Hennigan, general manager of the Crown restaurants at Whitebrook and Celtic Manor, added: "Martin with his unrivalled experience is perfect to help us on our way to the next level."

Blunos first opened Lettonie, French for Latvia, in Bristol in 1998 serving a menu of Franco-British cuisine with Eastern European influences. He earned his first Michelin star in 1992, a second in 1994 and moved the restaurant to larger premises in Bath in 1997.

Lettonie closed in September 2001 and in 2004 Blunos took over as head chef of the Lygon Arms in Worcestershire.

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