Claire Sharp, currently restaurant manager at Melton's in York, has been appointed to head up front of house at Winteringham Fields, Lincolnshire.
Sharp will take over as restaurant manager in September from Annie Schwab, the restaurant's joint-proprietor, who has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for some years.
Annie and her husband, Germain, put their two-Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms on the market last autumn after she had endured a prolonged bout of severe ill-health. It will remain for sale - at the asking price of £1.3m - but agent Christie & Co is not actively seeking a buyer.
"We would definitely sell if someone came along with the big cheque," said Annie. "We are not desperate to go but we would like to do other things. This restructuring will enable us to continue to operate, carry on with refurbishment and once again take Winteringham Fields forward."
She confirmed that half-a-dozen buyers had looked at the restaurant "seriously" but most had wanted Germain to stay in the kitchen. "If he does that, he might as well keep it himself," she added. A management buyout by existing staff remained a possibility, she said, and the issue had been discussed.
Annie played down suggestions that the restaurant was aiming for a third Michelin star. While she felt the cooking was better than ever, she also believed that the guides "stop looking at you when you are on the market".
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 26 June 2003