HEAD chef Ben Bullen and his team from the Magnolia Brasserie at the Sudbury House Hotel are celebrating having been awarded two AA Rosettes.

The Magnolia Brasserie opened its doors in June 2014 and Ben's appointment was his first venture as head chef. He has gone on to create an interesting range of dishes for the less formal restaurant at Sudbury House and the quality of the food and service in Magnolia Brasserie has now been officially recognised.

He said: "At the Magnolia Brasserie we have a mix of Mediterranean style and classic British dishes on the menu. I like to create twists on classic flavour combinations using fresh, quality ingredients to give our diners a memorable experience at Sudbury House.

"We have a feature wood burner stove and an open plan kitchen in the Brasserie which gives me and my team the opportunity to interact with our guests.

"Being awarded two AA Rosettes means a lot to us all as there has been a considerable amount of hard work done to develop and evolve the Magnolia Brasserie menu. I have enjoyed the challenge of taking the Magnolia Brasserie from a new restaurant, creating a range of interesting dishes using our wood burner stove that gives food a unique and very different flavour."

Ben originally trained at the North Oxfordshire College in Banbury. Whilst a student, he worked part-time in Whately Hall Hotel in Banbury, where he first met and worked with Sudbury House Hotel's executive head chef Andrew Scott. He then went on to work in Gee's Restaurant in Oxford working his way up to senior chef de partie in just 18 months.

Ben continued to further his career working at Jesmond's in Highworth. During his first six months, the property was transformed from a Grade II listed building to a five AA Gold Star hotel. Here Ben gained valuable experience, as a demi chef de partie, as he learned from William Guthrie what it takes to be awarded two AA Rosettes and voted one of the top 100 restaurants in Britain within two months of opening.

Ben gained further experience at the Churchill Arms in Paxford and Mallory Court in Royal Leamington Spa working under Simon Haigh. Having learned new skills in a Michelin starred, three AA Rosette kitchen, Ben gained a new found respect and understanding of food. Before joining Sudbury House to take up the role of head chef in Magnolia Brasserie, Ben had returned to Gee's Restaurant as sous chef.

Rejoining him are Andrew Scott and Nick Bennett at Sudbury House, both of whom Ben had worked with previously. "Working in such a happy and professional environment really makes a difference in all aspects of work," said Ben.