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Top Chef James Brown joins Cumbria Business Portal
James Brown runs AWOL Recruitment with his wife, Kim. Formed in 1999, AWOL has developed as a specialist catering recruitment agency. It supplies businesses in the North West with temporary and permanent chefs, along with management, front of house, reception and housekeeping staff. They have forged a reputation as the premier catering agency in the area, focusing on quality and reliability of standards and service.James' background in catering started early. He was introduced to the business when his family and their partners, the Browns and Reeves, bought the Old Vicarage at Witherslack in 1977. A rather tumbledown property was developed over time into a fully fledged country house hotel, which developed a great reputation and won many accolades and awards.
His career was formalised through taking an OND in hotel & catering management at Kendal College following onto an HND at Blackpool. He moved south for the next 12 years, working in many different sectors including corporate hospitality and multi - site management.
James returned north in 1997 with his new family and took over the reins as Head Chef at the Old Vicarage Hotel. He found his feet and won AA rosettes, entries in many publications including the Good Food and Hotel guides. In 2000 he was awarded full membership of The Master Chefs of Great Britain. Whilst at the hotel he cooked for many of his peers including Albert Roux and Rick Stein.
James keeps his hand in the kitchen by cooking for many of his new clients, which has helped AWOL to understand their customers' needs better and also helps brief their relief chefs so that they are well informed before each placement. James enjoys creating recipes and specialises in promoting the local larder, often with a Mediterranean twist (he has family in Palermo, Sicily!).
We welcome James to our group of Journalists and look forward to some excellent recipes for us to try and James will keep us posted on any Chef/Front of House Vacancies he and Kim may have.
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