Nasser Kheir becomes head chef at Burnham Beeches
The Dorchester's former head banqueting chef takes over food and drink at the Buckinghamshire hotel as it rebrands under Laura Ashley.
Nasser Kheir has been appointed head chef at Burnham Beeches, the Buckinghamshire hotel rebranding as a Laura Ashley property ahead of its 300th anniversary in 2027.
Kheir joins from the Dorchester in London, where he worked as head banqueting chef. He takes charge of food and drink across the Georgian hotel's restaurant, afternoon tea service, weddings and private events, general manager Danka Groenewald confirmed on 6 October.
Before the Dorchester, Kheir spent more than four years as head chef at the Hotel Café Royal and held banqueting roles at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane.
Great food starts with quality ingredients, seasonality and dishes that people genuinely want to eat.
Groenewald said the hire reflects the range the role demands. "Nasser brings an exceptional breadth of experience, having worked at some of London's most respected hotels, and importantly understands the many different elements that make up a successful hotel kitchen," she said.
Kheir said his approach starts with sourcing rather than plating. "Great food starts with quality ingredients, seasonality and dishes that people genuinely want to eat," he said of his plans for the menus.
A kitchen built for weddings and tea
Burnham Beeches runs a wider operation than most country hotels its size, combining a restaurant with one of the busiest afternoon tea rooms in the county and a full wedding and events calendar. Kheir's banqueting background at the Dorchester and the Four Seasons is a direct fit for that volume, rather than a single tasting-menu room.
The hotel's new Laura Ashley branding adds a retail and lifestyle layer to the job: menus will need to carry the brand's country-house identity through tea service as much as dinner.
Hotel chefs on the move
Kheir's appointment is part of a busier autumn for senior hotel kitchen hires in the UK, as groups rebrand or reposition properties ahead of 2027 openings and anniversaries. Other recent changes in UK hospitality show the same pattern this year: established names leaving long-held postings as owners reshape their food and drink offer.
Burnham Beeches is working toward its 300th anniversary in 2027, and Kheir's menus will be the first to carry the Laura Ashley name through a full calendar year.
