Gary Maclean and Hannah Catley have joined hospitality firm BaxterStorey as Chef Partners to the business.
Maclean is Scotland’s first government-appointed National Chef, a role in which he promotes locally sourced and locally produced food and drink, as well as healthy and sustainable eating and food education in Scotland. An Executive Chef Lecturer at City of Glasgow College, he won BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals in 2016.
The role will see Maclean support training through BaxterStorey’s academies and masterclasses. And with his understanding of Scottish culture and passion for the local larder, he will also support BaxterStorey to strengthen regional producer and grower partnerships to ensure access to the best local ingredients in Scotland.
Maclean said: “I’m excited to partner with BaxterStorey, focusing on mentorship, hands-on training, and the best local produce. I’m looking forward to working with an incredible team to inspire the next generation of chefs and celebrate great Scottish food.”
Catley, meanwhile, is a Bristol-based Baker and owner of Lockdown Loaves and Catley’s. Formerly a pastry chef at Chiltern Firehouse in London, she started Lockdown Loaves during the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering baked goods in her hometown.
She will play a key role in strengthening BaxterStorey’s commitment to craft baking, sharing her expertise to elevate team members’ skills. She will support the BaxterStorey Chef Academy with hands-on training while also supporting pastry skills development at client location kitchens.
Catley said: “I am so excited to be collaborating with BaxterStorey and to be able to contribute to their communities by way of training our teams and creating a more approachable way of implementing pastry skills within our kitchens.”
Maclean and Catley join BaxterStorey’s roster of existing Chef Partners including Kirk Haworth, Ruth Hansom, Josh Eggleton, Jenny Chandler, and Thuy Diem Pham. Chef partners spent nearly 3,000 hours last year cooking alongside BaxterStorey team members, sharing their knowledge, and hosting experiences for both teams and clients.
Andrew Aston, Head of Chef Partnerships, Wellness and Communities at BaxterStorey, said: “Our Head of Food for Scotland, John Fleming, and I are delighted to be bringing Gary into the business. We know that Gary’s fantastic knowledge, creativity and energy will be a huge asset to our teams in Scotland. As National Chef for Scotland, he brings a wealth of global culinary experience, and we are eager to see the relationships and innovation he will foster.
“Similarly, bringing in a chef partner with a focus on pastry was always part of our longer-term strategy, and when we met Hannah, we knew she was the perfect fit for our business. Hannah is a passionate young businesswoman with a deep love for what she does and a strong commitment to training. We are excited to see the impact she will have on our pastry chefs, and all our chefs.”