Chef Mark Donald has led Glenturret Lalique in Crieff to its second Michelin star, joining only one other Scottish venue with that distinction.
From a pot washer to a two‑star chef
Donald, 38, grew up in Torrance and began his culinary career cleaning pots at the Tickled Trout in Milngavie. Six years later he earned a spot at Copenhagen’s three‑starred Noma, then turned down a job there to return home under the late Andrew Fairlie. “Reni was so definite and conceptual,” he recalled, “but Andrew was clinical in the fundamentals.” He valued the discipline he learned there, saying the experience was a marathon, not a sprint.
After two years with Fairlie, he was recruited as sous‑chef at London’s now‑closed Hibiscus, working under Claude Bosi. It was there he met his Australian wife, Madelaine, who was then a receptionist. When her visa expired, the couple moved to Sydney, where he became head chef at Bentley, a two‑hat fine‑dining establishment. He could have stayed in the sun‑lit Antipodes, yet he missed Scotland’s “dark mornings, sudden rain, and the produce,” and returned in 2018 to lead Number One at The Balmoral in Edinburgh, retaining its Michelin star.
Opening a distillery restaurant
Donald accepted the role of head chef at Glenturret Lalique, the luxury brand’s only UK outpost and the only Michelin‑starred restaurant operating inside a working distillery. He was initially skeptical, picturing “deep‑fried food, haggis bon‑bons, shortbread‑tin nonsense,” but was impressed by a brand‑new kitchen and ample resources.
He brought his Balmoral team with him, and the new brigade quickly formed a close‑knit dynamic. After seven months the restaurant was awarded its second Michelin star, marking Donald’s debut as a name‑in‑lights chef.
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His management style contrasts sharply with the “egomaniacal tyrants” often reported in fine‑dining kitchens. He emphasizes individual relationships, saying, “I manage each person individually and the only way to do that is to get to know your staff.” This approach appears to have paid off, as the kitchen maintains a lively, supportive atmosphere.
He works six to seven days a week, even though the restaurant is open only four days. The demanding schedule leaves little time to unwind, and his mother once told him, “This is no life for you,” while she watched Wimbledon. Nonetheless, Donald remains driven, constantly setting new goals.
He still dreams of new flavors.
Looking ahead, the chef’s personal aspirations include traveling more, spending time with his family, and tending his garden. He does not envision a political career, preferring the modest ambition of “seeing the world and enjoying more time with my family.”
