Chef Kevin Bonello, Culinary Director at The Grand, York, brings more than three decades of international experience to a new Yorkshire-focused chapter at Legacy.

A New Chapter For Legacy

Kevin Bonello launches a new seasonal chapter at Legacy, celebrating Yorkshire produce, local craftsmanship and provenance through three evolving menus shaped by ingredients, place, technique and deeply personal culinary storytelling.

Michelin-Experienced Chef Puts Provenance, Seasonality And Local Craft At The Heart Of The Grand, York’s Fine-Dining Restaurant

Michelin-experienced chef Kevin Bonello is preparing to unveil a new chapter for Legacy, the fine-dining restaurant at The Grand, York, with a concept built around Yorkshire ingredients, seasonality, craftsmanship and the stories behind the food.

Bonello, Culinary Director at The Grand, has set his sights on strengthening Legacy’s position among the UK’s leading fine-dining destinations. The award-winning chef previously held a Michelin star at de Mondion in his native Malta and has overseen the culinary direction of The Grand since joining the hotel in 2023.

Following Legacy’s Evolution Through the Eras menu, introduced in June 2024, Bonello will launch the restaurant’s new concept on 4 November.

At the centre of the transformation is a new Three Seasons approach, with menus changing according to ingredients and natural availability rather than culinary trends.

Beginning with Game & Wild from November, the restaurant will move into Foraged & Roots in February before introducing Fish & Harvest from June.

Every dish will place Yorkshire provenance at its heart, drawing on relationships with local farmers, producers and fishers as well as ingredients sourced closer to the hotel, including honey from The Grand’s own rooftop beehives.

Highlights

• Kevin Bonello joined The Grand, York as Culinary Director in 2023.
• He previously held a Michelin star at de Mondion in Malta.
• Legacy’s new concept launches on 4 November.
• The restaurant will follow three seasonal menu chapters.
• Game & Wild begins in November.
• Foraged & Roots arrives in February.
• Fish & Harvest begins in June.
• Menus will evolve around ingredients and seasonality rather than trends.
• Yorkshire farmers, producers and fishers will play a central role.
• Ingredients will also come from The Grand’s rooftop beehives.
• Bonello forages ingredients around his village near York.
• He has personally carved wooden utensils and cutlery rests for Legacy.
• Local artist Lily Roberts has created hand-painted murals.
• York craftsman Ollie Abell created a bespoke handcrafted cheese trolley.
• Fermentation cupboards form part of the restaurant experience.
• Bonello has more than 30 years of hospitality experience.
• He spent 21 years with Malta’s Xara Collection.
• His cooking reflects his Maltese culinary heritage.
• York welcomed 8.88 million visitors in 2025.
• Food and drink represented 27% of visitor expenditure according to the supplied Visit York figures.

A Restaurant Shaped By Its Surroundings

Bonello’s vision extends far beyond the plate.

Ingredients will be foraged from his own village on the outskirts of York, while elements of the restaurant have been created by hand. Bonello has personally carved wooden utensils and cutlery rests, while local craftsmanship can also be seen in a bespoke cheese trolley produced by York woodworker Ollie Abell.

Former restaurant employee and local artist Lily Roberts has created hand-painted murals for the dining room, while fermentation cupboards will form part of the restaurant’s evolving visual identity.

The result is intended to create a closer connection between diners, ingredients, producers and the landscape surrounding York.

“Legacy’s new future is one that allows the ingredients to shine,” Bonello said. “The only thing taking centre stage in our restaurant is the food and the guest experience.”

He describes the concept as his own “food love story”, shaped by a career that has taken him around the world but ultimately led him back to inspiration found close to home.

“I’ve travelled all over the world in my career but found the inspiration I was looking for in my very own village,” he said.

“There have been months of preparation behind the scenes and we, as a team, are so excited to be finally bringing it to the table in York.”

Yorkshire Takes Centre Stage

The development comes as York continues to strengthen its reputation as a major visitor destination.

According to Visit York’s 2025 STEAM report, the city welcomed 8.88 million visitors during 2025, contributing £2.08 billion to the local economy. Food and drink accounted for 27 per cent of visitor expenditure.

Bonello believes gastronomy can play an even greater role in attracting visitors to the city, with Legacy providing diners with an experience rooted unmistakably in Yorkshire.

Adam Dyke, General Manager at The Grand, York, described the restaurant’s transformation as a new interpretation of the region.

“This is a new Legacy and this is Yorkshire served in a way that has never been done before,” he said.

“Kevin’s creative vision and passion to make this all come to fruition has been infectious and a joy to watch. Now it’s time for guests to experience it firsthand.”

Dyke described the concept as “formal dining done in an informal way” — inviting, innovative and strongly reflective of Bonello’s personality.

Three Decades In The Kitchen

Bonello brings more than 30 years of international hospitality experience to York.

Before joining The Grand, he spent 21 years with the Xara Collection in Malta, eventually serving as Culinary Director. During his tenure, he and his team earned a Michelin star at de Mondion, placing the restaurant among a small group to receive the distinction in Malta.

His career has also included experience in kitchens associated with Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Éric Fréchon.

Bonello describes his cooking as “proud, bold and precise”, with influences drawn from his Maltese heritage and the Mediterranean island’s distinctive mixture of Sicilian, Arabic, French and Spanish culinary traditions.

At The Grand, he oversees the hotel’s complete food and beverage operation, including Legacy, The Rise, SubRosa, the Cookery School and in-room dining.

With the reinvention of Legacy, however, his focus turns firmly towards Yorkshire — its seasons, its producers and the ingredients capable of telling the region’s story.

Rather than creating a menu designed simply to follow modern fine-dining trends, Bonello is building an experience around place.

And for Legacy’s next chapter, that place is unmistakably York.