Andreas Antona
Andreas Antona spent the early years of his career working in prestigious kitchens in Germany and Switzerland. Andreas moved back to the UK in 1980 to take up the position of chef tournant at The Dorchester with Anton Mosimann OBE at the helm. After gaining valuable experience from Mosimann, Andreas was offered the role of sous chef at The Ritz under the highly regarded Michael Quinn MBE.
A few years later, Andreas made the decision to move to the Midlands, stepping into the role of head chef at the Plough and Harrow in Birmingham, where he began receiving international acclaim.
In 1993, Andreas opened his first restaurant, Simpsons, one of the first restaurants in the area to be awarded a Michelin star which it still retains today. In 2013, Andreas decided to take a step back from the kitchen to focus on life as a restaurateur and take over The Cross in Kenilworth. The Cross received a Michelin star just over a year after re-opening, which it has held ever since.
Andreas is a great supporter of education and is a longstanding governor of University College Birmingham. He also founded the Bocuse d’Or UK Academy, which he chairs and was integral to Adam Bennett achieving the best result yet for Team UK in the Bocuse d’Or 2013 World final.
Adam Bennett
Adam Bennett took over as chef director of The Cross at Kenilworth in September 2013 after many years working at Michelin-starred restaurants. The Cross soon began receiving fantastic reviews from locals, food lovers and restaurant critics alike, within just 12 months the inn received a Michelin star which it maintains today.
Adam wanted to cook from an early age and during his college training spent time working in a busy family-run Hotel Restaurant in Bavaria, Germany. Further experience in France and London gave him a fantastic grounding for his future career.
In 2013 Adam achieved the highest score ever for a British chef in the Bocuse d’Or world final - a record he retains today. In 2017, he was one of just five chefs to win The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Master of Culinary Arts.
Adam now has over 30 years experience in high-end kitchens and strives each day to progress and improve with the team at The
Cross. His approach is to take the very best produce, treat it with care and
design a dish with a balance of flavour, texture and acidity that allows each
ingredient to shine. At The Cross, he uses his experience of cooking at Michelin
level to create dishes perfect for the relaxed atmosphere of a popular pub
setting.
Edmund Wilson
Whilst we are sure that many of you will recognise him, we wanted to officially introduce you to Ed, our relatively new restaurant manager.
Ed was promoted from assistant manager of The Cross in September, after working with us for more than two years. He has previously worked at The Churchill Arms, Mallory Court and The Lygon Arms but started out working in furniture production, after securing a degree in furniture design.
As a young manager, Ed brings new ideas and fresh inspiration to the restaurant. He is highly motivated and brings interpersonal and organisational skills to the role as well as a genuine warmth to welcome guests.
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Our friends at Mill Piece Gardens
Our dedication to using seasonal produce has helped us develop close relationships with like-minded local growers, farmers and producers. One of our most important suppliers is Mill Piece Gardens, located only a few miles away from The Cross near Bubbenhall.
The owners, Luciole and Jan, farm the land at Mill Piece Gardens. Together, they built all the beds from scratch, initially starting with one garden, which they then expanded to the current three. All the produce is grown using the no-dig method, which helps preserve helpful microorganisms and reduce the amount of carbon released when turning the soil. Additionally, Jan and Luciole never use pesticides which means we can use their wonderful produce without worrying about harmful chemicals.
Their passion, commitment and expertise help to produce herbs, vegetables and fruits of exceptional quality, which we love using.