FOOD AT
DUN ALUINN

INTRODUCING OUR HEAD CHEF, Tasso Neofitos

Neofitos joins Dun Aluinn following two years as Head Chef of HAAR Restaurant in St Andrews, where the restaurant achieved four AA Rosettes, recognition in the Michelin Guide and a place in La Liste’s Top 1000 Restaurants Worldwide.

With more than 20 years in hospitality, Neofitos brings to Dun Aluinn a deep-rooted passion for the Scottish larder and a style of cooking shaped by seasonality, sustainability and the landscape around him.

Food and hospitality have been part of Neofitos’ life from an early age. Growing up with both parents working in the hospitality industry, he was naturally drawn to the kitchen and began his professional career at just 15 years old as a commis chef.

His first six years were spent in busy brasseries, working his way through the ranks to sous chef and gaining experience opening and developing a number of pubs. A move into fine dining proved pivotal, introducing Neofitos to a style of cooking that would ultimately define his career:

working closely with exceptional local produce and foraged ingredients while exploring Scotland’s extraordinary natural larder.

He spent three years at Rocca St Andrews, then a three-AA-Rosette restaurant, working under chef Davey Aspen, before joining Jamie Scott to open The Newport Restaurant. Neofitos would go on to spend nine years there as Head Chef, during which time the restaurant was named AA Scottish Restaurant of the Year, gained recognition in the Michelin Guide and achieved and maintained three AA Rosettes.

In 2024, Neofitos joined HAAR as Head Chef. Over the following two years, the restaurant achieved four AA Rosettes and Michelin Guide recognition, as well as being named among La Liste’s Top 1000 Restaurants Worldwide.

Now, his move to Dun Aluinn brings that experience into a very different environment: an intimate Highland house where the landscape and changing seasons are intrinsic to the guest experience.

“I’m passionate about letting great produce speak for itself.”

“My style of cooking is driven by seasonality, locality and sustainability, with a focus on creating food that has a sense of place and reflects the environment around us.”

Chef Tasso Neofitos

At the heart of Chef Neofitos’ approach is a love and respect for the ingredients that surround him, with a particular passion for foraging and working with local and sustainably sourced produce.

The Perthshire landscape will provide a new source of inspiration, allowing Neofitos to explore the wild ingredients, growers, farmers and producers found on Dun Aluinn’s doorstep and throughout Scotland.

Foraging in particular has become an important part of his culinary identity, creating a closer relationship between his cooking and the landscape from which his ingredients originate.

“Foraging has given me an even deeper connection to the landscape and to the ingredients I use,” he explains. “It has taught me to appreciate the importance of responsible sourcing and traditional practices. For me, being a chef is about more than what goes on the plate — it’s about understanding and respecting where ingredients come from, showcasing the people and practices behind them, and continually finding new ways to celebrate them while being conscious of our surroundings and our impact on the planet.”

That philosophy feels particularly at home at Dun Aluinn. Set within 5.5 acres of private grounds above Aberfeldy, the house looks across the Tay Valley towards Schiehallion, surrounded by a landscape that changes dramatically with the seasons.

Dining has always been central to the Dun Aluinn experience, bringing guests together around the table and celebrating the best of Scotland’s natural larder. Neofitos’ appointment will build upon that foundation, developing an increasingly distinctive culinary identity for the house through menus inspired by what is growing, being harvested, caught and foraged at that particular moment.