Scottish catering and hospitality news in Scotland

Award-winning restaurateur Adrian Pieraccini has launched Rocca Bar & Grill in St Andrews.

Macdonald Rusacks' General Manager, Kevin Keenan said: 'Macdonald Hotels were looking to attract a partner with experience in restaurant operations and a proven business background, making Adrian Pieraccini an ideal fit for us.'

Based on an Italian-style grill concept, Rocca will also feature the first ever Louis Roederer Champagne bar at the centre of the restaurant.

Visit www.roccagrill.com for more information.

Charlton House Catering has appointed Amanda Ursell, the nutritionist and award-winning columnist, as a consultant to support the company's drive to improve health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Following the re-launch of http://www.wellbeingbeingwell.co.uk- Charlton House now aims to work with Ursell to maximise its customers' health.

Caroline Fry, Managing Director of Charlton House, has been the driver behind the initiative: 'We are absolutely thrilled to have Amanda Ursell on board. As a  trained dietitian, her input will take the work which we have done to date to a new level and keep the focus clearly on the health of our customers.'

The 'Wellbeing, Being Well' programme features a nutritional Ingredient of the Week on menus throughout the company's restaurants, and is supported by the website which provides information on the health-enhancing properties of the foods featured.

Edinburgh will play host to Festival in the Sky, a culinary showpiece featuring a 22-person dining table suspended more than 100 feet in the air in West Prince's Street Gardens during the Edinburgh Festival this August. Chefs include Geoffrey Smeddle, Tony Borthwick Matt Powell from Hotel du Vin.

Each of the 16 chefs will host a guest chef 'flight' from 3.30pm each day and will feature demonstrations and a light lunch with questions and tips. The team will be led by The Cook School's Scotland's Steven Doherty.

Seats at the Festival in the Sky dinner table are available from 10am – 9.30pm daily from August 1st – 31st and prices start from £30 per head. Visit www.festivalinthesky.com to book.

David Ramsden, the Edinburgh restaurateur who made his name at Fitzhenry's, has been identified as one of the UK's most successful
restaurant players. The recognition, in R200, Restaurant magazine's annual list of the top 200 restaurant operators in the UK, saw Ramsden's collection of three restaurants make it to 159th on the list, only two years after opening.
Ramsden's was one of only five Scottish restaurant groups to make the list, and the only Edinburgh-based operator to be featured. Pizza Express operator, Gondola Holdings, came top.

Doubletree by Hilton, Dunblane Hydro has appointed Steven Campbell as the new executive head chef for the property and its signature restaurant, The Kailyard by Nick Nairn.

With 35 years' experience in the hospitality sector, Steven has worked in some of the country's most prestigious hotels and restaurants, as well as five-star properties across Europe.

Calum Ross, Area General Manager of Hilton hotels, Central Scotland, said: 'Steven has a fantastic reputation within the industry and will join an excellent team of individuals at the hotel.'