A talented German chef has been recruited to introduce top class cuisine to one of the most historic and picturesque conference and event venues in Wales.

Heiko Simmchen, 32, has taken over as head chef at Gregynog Hall at Tregynon, near Newtown, with a pledge to use locally sourced, fresh ingredients in tasty dishes that will have people wanting more.

"I was attracted to this job by the great potential to develop the food here at this beautiful venue," he said. "There is a great opportunity to put my own stamp on the food.

"I like to please people with nice, fresh food that is cooked right and to work, wherever possible, with local suppliers. The food has to be right for the people and the occasion."

Heiko is developing a flexible seasonal menu for conferences together with a bespoke package for groups, including meals for shooting parties, which will include top quality venison sausages with roasted onion and garlic mashed potatoes and red wine jus.

He is now looking to recruit a young assistant chef and a catering assistant, who will be nurtured and developed.

Heiko joins the team at Gregynog Hall at an exciting time in the evolution of famous venue, which is planning an Egon Ronay style courtyard café followed, in the future, by a bistro and restaurant.

Trained at two Michelin star restaurants in Berlin, he has worked on five star cruise liners, including as sous chef in the multi-national start up crew on Queen Mary 2.

He arrived in the UK in 2000 after securing a job at London Marriott Hotel before spending six months as junior sous chef at the Chester Grosvenor Hotel. Other posts have included head chef at The British Library, Harrogate, for law firm Nabarro in Sheffield and at the head office of DFS in Doncaster.

His travels have taken him to many parts of the world, including New Zealand and Australia where he cooked for former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.

The glorious countryside and quiet lanes surrounding Gregynog Hall remind him of the Black Forest in Germany. "Every day when I wake up I feel that I'm on holiday because there is such a sense of freedom here," he said.

Gregynog Hall's manager Karen Armstrong is delighted with her new recruit. "It took us six months to find Heiko but it has definitely been worth the wait to get the right chef," she said. "He is already exceeding expectations with dishes that people know and understand and I am excited about what the future holds."

Underlining his commitment to get things right, Heiko has offered to spend time in a Chinese restaurant to ensure that the food he prepares for a forthcoming Anglo-Chinese wedding at Gregynog Hall perfectly matches the couple's wishes.

"I have worked with people of all nationalities and learnt how to cook all sorts of dishes, from Flipino and Mexican to Malaysian and Indian," he said. "Cooking is all about combining knowledge and experience."