Three members of staff, including the general manager, quit their positions at Stapleford Park country house hotel in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, last week.

General manager Yves Wencker, who joined the hotel eight months ago from the Ritz in London, where he had been food and beverage director, left with his personal assistant and financial controller, Peter Russell.

And a new events controller, who was due to join Stapleford Park from the Ritz, decided against the move.

The hotel's sales and marketing director, Nick Blofeld, said that the departures had been made by mutual agreement with the board. In May, Andrew Parker sold his 85% majority stake to two minority shareholders from the Middle East, who announced plans to raise the hotel's profile and boost it from four- to five-star status.

Wencker said he was not able to comment on his departure at this stage, but indicated that a couple of things had changed without notice. "My only regret is that I will not finish the job," he told Caterer.

He said that he was now looking at various projects in the Leicestershire, Rutland and Derbyshire areas, and had already been approached by some investors.

Nigel Moore, front-of-house manager at Stapleford Park, has taken up the reins as the hotel looks for a new general manager.