Cloisters Welcomes New Chef

Head Chef Michael Ball has joined Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath to take the helm at Cloisters, its 2 AA Rosette restaurant, and oversee all dining operations within the 4-star country house hotel.

Joining from Careys Manor Hotel & Spa in Hampshire and with a pedigree including Homewood Park Hotel & Spa in Bath and Macdonald Bath Spa, Michael has extensive experience in the luxury market and a fine-tuned understanding of what it takes to stand out.

Michael’s style constantly evolves yet his passion for using the finest quality ingredients with a focus on seasonality, simplicity and provenance remains constant. As such, his dishes are well balanced, mixing core ingredients with classic flavours and adding a contemporary twist to make them his own, whilst focusing on a menu that reflects a modern British style.

Dishes change seasonally, and at the moment dishes include poached Norwegian cod with saffron infused potatoes, topped with squid ink crackers and rump of lamb from Upper Wraxall, and to finish the Chocolate ganache with poached cherries and cherry sorbet is a firm favourite.

At Cloisters, its historic arches and unique character features, give this elegant dining room a cosy and welcoming ambience for diners, with plenty of tables overlooking the grounds and countryside.

Michael takes inspiration from the amazing produce local to Somerset and enjoys combining big, bold flavours with subtle tones to make his dishes vibrant and colourful. His favourite ingredients include venison, rhubarb and wild garlic, the latter of which is picked daily just steps from the kitchen within the hotel grounds.

Spending time in the kitchen during his childhood is what spurred Michael’s desire to be a chef and he has never looked back since. His hunger for learning new techniques and discovering new flavour combinations is motivation for Michael’s ever-evolving menu and at Bailbrook House, and together with his team of chefs, his personality shines through on the plate. 

For further information or to make a booking at Coilsters click here.