Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection, the luxurious countryside retreat, surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and woodland in the idyllic town of Washington, Conn., announced the appointment of Lacey Lou Franklin as Executive Chef.
Drawing upon culinary experience honed at Michelin-starred restaurants in Napa Valley, Calif., Franklin will oversee culinary development, operations and programming at the hotel’s signature restaurant, The Mayflower Dining Room, and the Tap Room, the more relaxed, pub-style lounge serving a dynamic take on casual country fare.
Franklin brings award-winning expertise in menu concept and culinary execution to her new role as Executive Chef. No stranger to Auberge Resorts Collection, Franklin has spent nearly a decade working with several properties within the award-winning collection. Most recently, Franklin served as Chef de Cuisine and Executive Sous Chef at Solbar at Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection in Napa Valley, Calif. Prior to that, Franklin served on the culinary team at Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection’s ultra-luxury retreat in the Pérez Zeledón mountains of Costa Rica. She began her tenure with Auberge Resorts Collection in 2011, when she joined the award-winning team at Auberge du Soleil, the collection’s flagship property in Napa Valley, Calif. Franklin first started as a line cook for the Michelin-starred, Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil, and soon advanced to Sous Chef – a testament to her outstanding culinary skills and creativity.
“We are delighted to welcome Chef Lacey Lou into our New England family,” said Shan Kanagasingham, Senior Vice President of Operations, Auberge Resorts Collection. “Her extensive background and innovative approach to the culinary world will be an incredible asset to the Mayflower Inn & Spa. She will be an inspirational driving force behind our culinary program as we embark on a new chapter for this storied hotel.”
“As a California native, I am thrilled to be venturing to the East Coast and I look forward infusing a touch of California into this quintessential New England property,” said Franklin. “New England has an extraordinary bounty of produce and I am excited to cultivate relationships with local farmers and purveyors and create an atmosphere and menu that appeals to the Litchfield County community and our resort guests.”
Franklin earned a Certificate in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento, Calif.
Steeped in the Connecticut countryside’s dynamic history and distinguished charm, The Mayflower Dining Room is a New England-style brasserie that brings a fresh California flair to the wonderfully rich culinary traditions of country dining. For a more casual dining experience, Mayflower Inn & Spa invites guests to enjoy handcrafted cocktails and elevated takes on classic New England pub food in The Tap Room.
