Meet Nigel Parnaby - Head Chef
Meet Nigel Parnaby - Head Chef
Nigel Parnaby, Head Chef at Weston Park has been a chef since he left school at 16. That’s 43 years chopping, prepping, searing, reducing and deglazing in a commercial kitchen.
Nigel has worked his way up during a 43-year career path with hotel chains Trust House Forte, the Marriot Group and Handpicked Hotels. After four years at The Mount Hotel in Tettenhall, he decided the time was right to make the move to a kitchen that felt far more personal.
“It’s very different here to working in a hotel kitchen, and the customers are different. The customers in a hotel are there for the hotel, not for the food – people rarely eat in the hotel restaurant unless there’s a trend for afternoon tea, or you have a ‘name’ over the door.”
In post at the Weston since January, Nigel said the time was right to leave behind the world of corporate hospitality and embrace culinary freedom.
“One of the things I really love about being here is the freedom it gives me. The restaurant doesn’t open every night, so when we do open, I know exactly what we’re doing and can really focus on getting it right. I also have the flexibility to use the suppliers and produce I want, which has made a huge difference.”
Another big difference to the dishes he creates has grown from his close collaboration with Weston’s Head Gardener, Anna Krapivina.
“The garden has been a real highlight for me. I met Anna when I first started, and she gave me two whole beds to plant for the summer. We’re talking red asparagus, white strawberries – loads of incredible produce. Anna will come to me and say ‘right, we’ve got this, this and this’ – and then the fun really begins, working out what to do with it all. The partnership between the kitchen and the gardens allows us to offer fresh, distinctive ingredients that enhance the menu’s seasonal appeal and create customer excitement, but equally important – it supports our sustainability and local sourcing goals.”
But whether working in a high-volume, luxury hotel, or a high-end stately home, weddings remain a common thread of Nigel’s culinary career.
“The secret to a perfect wedding menu,” says Nigel, “isn’t found in a rigid set of options, but in a collaborative process that strips away the traditional pressure of pleasing the masses. By the time a couple sits down for their tasting, the focus shifts entirely from expectation to personal preference, often starting with little more than a blank slate and an honest conversation – where the biggest mistake a couple can make is prioritising their guests’ palates over their own!
“I see brides and grooms get so worried about the guests, but honestly, Aunt Mary is just happy she’s been invited and has a new hat to wear. Don’t worry about what other people think; if it’s what you like, that’s what we’re cooking!”
The Weston Park Foundation, the charity which owns and maintains the estate, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and plans may or may not be afoot to create a celebratory dish.
“I have a couple of ideas up my sleeve, but I don’t want to say too much as we’ll probably do something nearer the end of the year… watch this space.”