Tumilty expands role at Hastings Hotels

Hastings Hotels has appointed Damian Tumilty as the Executive Head Chef of the world-renowned Europa Hotel in Belfast, in addition to his existing role at the 5-star Grand Central Hotel. 

With over 25 years culinary experience, Tumilty will lead the combined team of more than 50 kitchen staff across both landmark properties.

Since the Grand Central Hotel opened in 2018, he has led its culinary teams and earned a strong reputation for delivering high-quality and imaginative dining experiences.

A passionate advocate for nurturing culinary talent, he has played a pivotal role in inspiring young chefs to pursue careers in the industry – with many beginning their journey in one of Hastings Hotels’ six properties.

“I am thrilled to be the Executive Head Chef at two of the biggest hotels in Northern Ireland,” said Tumilty.

“Since joining Hastings Hotels over seven years ago, I have evolved as a chef, and a person. This new appointment represents the next step in my career.”

“The Europa Hotel and Grand Central Hotel have their own distinctive culinary offering, but both are known for their excellent dining experiences with creative menus featuring the very best local produce.

“For a chef, this is a very exciting challenge and gives me the opportunity to showcase my extensive skill set – one night I could be creating a private dining event for 12 people in The Cavern at the Grand Central and the next, I could be overseeing a 400-guest event at the Europa.”

Damian has also announced the appointment of two experienced Head Chefs to lead daily kitchen operations: Tom Mulcahy at the Grand Central and Stevie Bracken at the Europa. Their leadership will allow Damian to focus on innovation, talent development, and raising the bar even further in both hotels’ culinary offerings.

“This new role wouldn’t have been possible without the brilliant culinary teams at both hotels. I’m looking forward to working with the teams at both hotels to identify training and development opportunities and develop their skill sets, which will be particularly beneficial for our younger team members.”

Tumilty said that Hastings Hotels continues to lead the way in luxury hospitality in Northern Ireland and in delivering exceptional dining experiences.

“With our food offering I’m committed to pushing the boundaries further, evolving our menus and continuing to create memorable dining experiences for our guests.”