Chef who has cooked for the Beckhams and JK Rowling becomes head chef at one of North East's most instagrammed restaurants

Chef to the stars Dave Gill has cooked for royalty and celebrities including the Beckhams and JK Rowling, and now he is set to take up post as head chef at the Impeccable Pig in Sedgefield.

A Sunderland lad, Dave used to run Juniper’s Kitchen deli in Sunderland for a number of years and has also worked in London and at an exclusive Swiss chalet.

The venue is renowned for its stylish and luxurious rooms as well as its bistro style restaurant and pub with picture perfect interiors and has become a huge hit since it was opened by Ramside Estates last Autumn.

Dave has already begun to make changes and had decided to revamp the menu which has been relaunched to showcase his ethos of “ quality food, simply cooked.”

The new dishes include suckling pig and belly pork, duck confit and fillet of stone bass with a range of vegan and vegetarian options such as harissa and orange spiced cauliflower “steak.”

Dave Gill said: “It’s a really busy restaurant but that’s what makes it so exciting.

“It was also really appealing to be part of a large operation like Ramside Estates and to be involved somewhere I could really get my teeth into and help build on what is already a highly successful business.”

Since it opened its doors The Impeccable Pig has become a huge hit, attracting local people and visitors from further afield.

General Manager Pierre Bertolotti is delighted that Dave had joined the team. He said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the response to the restaurant since we opened.”

“Dave has a great deal of experience and is a perfect fit for the type of food we’re offering, brasserie-style dishes using the very best ingredients.”

The Impeccable Pig describes itself as a restaurant and pub with ‘a lot of character’ and has won rave reviews since opening.

The Telegraph said the former pub had a ‘sassy and metropolitan’ feel in a recent review, and scored the hotel and restaurant 8/10.