James Stocks, head chef at Balbirnie House in Fife, Scotland, has been suspended from his work after it emerged he embellished his CV and alleged senior positions at some of the UK’s top restaurants.

Stocks, who runs his eponymous restaurant at the Orangery, has claimed close relationships with chefs including Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux Jr as well as and high-ranking positions in their kitchens. 

However, the Michelin-starred chefs have denied his claims and Balbirnie House has launched an investigation, with Stocks having been suspended until its completion.

This comes just a year after a former employee of Balbirnie House was jailed for 27 months after he set fire to the premises while there were guests inside.

Stocks claims to have a close friendship with Marco Pierre White, alleging regular contact after he was junior sous chef at his three-Michelin-starred Oak Room in London between 1999 and 2002. 

But White told the Daily Record “that’s a lie,” adding “I just don’t know him”. 

Stocks has also alleged to have been a sous chef at the two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, but chef-patron Michel Roux Jr denying there was any truth to this claim. 

“He may have worked in the veg section or somewhere but he was never a sous or junior sous,” Roux told the Record. 

Furthermore, Stocks claims to have been poached from Le Gavroche by Gordon Ramsay to work at his eponymous three-Michelin-starred restaurant on London’s Royal Hospital Road. However, staff at the Chelsea eaterie said there are no records of him ever having been employed there. 

Despite the alleged untruths, Bilbirnie House managing director Nicholas Russell told the Record that the hotel is supporting Stocks.

“James Stocks is a walking talking bible of gastronomy, who has delivered a level of consistency in a time frame which is truly remarkable,” he said. 

“His skills and foundations are completely obvious. Even if James is guilty of embellishing his CV somewhat, there is no doubt he has the skills to become one of the greats.”

Read the full story in the Daily Record here >> 

Former employee of exclusive Scottish hotel found guilty of arson >> 

Chef has to apologise to Ramsay for fake CV >> 

False claims on a CV >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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