Rufflets Management Team
Stephen Owen, General Manager. A Yorkshireman by birth, General Manager Stephen Owen was raised, educated, and has lived in Scotland since the age of four. He is passionate about his adopted country, and believes that Scotland's countryside, food and hospitality (and sometimes its climate) rival those of any other country in the world.
Having worked in the hospitality industry for over twenty years, Stephen counts organising lunch for The Queen in the World Heritage Village of New Lanark as his proudest professional moment.
With his wife, Tiggy, and twin daughters Olivia and Grace, Stephen moved to St Andrews in 2002. Since then, his mission has been to find all the best beaches, food suppliers, and "hidden gems" in the East Neuk, and he can be relied on to share his discoveries generously with guests.
Heather Rothery has been Head Housekeeper at Rufflets for 16 years. Her hands on approach and attention to detail ensures that our rooms are cleaned and maintained to a five star standard. Heather and her dedicated team have just been awarded "best housekeeping hotel of the year" in the 2005 Hotel Review Scotland awards. So it's not just about plumping pillows and tucking Rufus into bed!
Guests who want to improve their wine and whisky knowledge (with a little bit of practical experience) should head for Gavin Aitken, our Bar and Lounge Services Manager. Gavin often arranges whisky tasting evenings for individuals or small groups from our selection of 100 malts and is also responsible for selecting wines for our extensive wine list. Gavin is an able and keen golfer, which is that other conversation at the bar!
Craig McPherson, our Deputy General Manager, joined the team in October 2005, having spent the last 15 years with the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews. Craig brings a wealth of experience of hotels and the Scottish golf scene. Very much a local to the town, he is the fount of all knowledge when it comes to getting the best table reservations in town, or a last minute tee time on the Links Courses. Regretably, his own handicap is not as low as it should be, so he is yet to make the hotel golf team!
Dimitris Papadatos, our Restaurant Manager, brings with him a wide range of knowledge and experience of restaurants from around the world. Having lived and worked in Fife for almost sixteen years, Dimitris is relishing his new challenge at Rufflets. With a passion for top class food service and customer care, he can always be relied upon to be available to assist.
It's Samantha Adam (Sam), our Assistant Front Office Manager, who looks after your reservation needs. She has spent over 13 years in the hospitality industry, and is very particular in ensuring that all guest expectations are met and is very familiar with our individually styled bedrooms and complex reservation processes.
Sarah Young, our Events Manager, has been with the hotel for three years, and is the one responsible for the detailed planning of weddings, banquets and conferences. No matter what the need is, she will always strive to make each individual request come true. Rumour is that she can even order the sunshine as well!
Mark Nixon is one of the newer additions to the Rufflets Management team and joined the hotel in June 2006 from Archerfield Country Club in East Lothian. Mark brings not only great experience to Rufflets, but a great passion for food, which we all benefit from!
