He was just five years old when he started cooking with his mother and creating the tastiest food in their family kitchen.
Now, chef Buddhika Dayananda, is serving up his culinary delights at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel in St Mary’s Gate in Derby – after travelling the world with his unique, mouth-watering menus.
The 46-year-old from Sri Lanka, said: “I am honoured to be here in Derby and serving all our guests at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel. I have worked in many countries and in some very prestigious hotels, but my heart is in Derby now.”
Buddhika is excited to bring his unique style of cooking to Derby diners and says he has received a warm welcome to the city.
He explained: “It is an enormous privilege to be here, and I can’t wait to cook for you all. I want to meet new people and give guests a meal to remember. My Christmas menu is very exciting and I can’t wait for that.”
Buddhika has introduced themed food nights at the Grade II-listed Cathedral Quarter Hotel and says bookings are busy. All day, every day, diners can enjoy a unique steak and wine combo – but on a Friday, Buddhika serves his speciality curries followed by a line-up of lovely pizzas on Saturday from 5pm.
He said: “Right now, I am concentrating on giving people home cooked, gourmet food with authentic and original flavours. Everything is prepared from scratch, by me, and I want diners to put their trust in what I can do.”
Buddhika has worked all over the world including Sri Lanka and the Middle East. He has cooked for dignitaries in Dubai and prepared meals for thousands of guests at a hotel in Bahrain.
He said: “Wherever I go, wherever I work, I just want to cook for people in my kitchen. It’s what I do best, and I can’t wait to see where this exciting new chapter takes me.
“When I was asked to join the team at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel I was really excited because I loved the look of the building. It is so different to where I have worked before.”
Buddhika’s handcrafted menu for Christmas Day is now out and he has been heavily involved in planning the hotel’s Friday Night Club, which will offer themed events, specialist wine tasting, party nights and live music with Derby DJs.
This year, the hotel is staying open at Christmas so people feeling lonely over the festive season can book a break. Residents can enjoy half price stays – complete with breakfast, lunch and a traditional, three course set Christmas menu.
The three course Christmas Day set menu costs £45 per person and the restaurant is open from 12 to 5pm. A single room with full board over Christmas will cost £80 a night and a double room with full board is £90.
Operations manager, Isuru Akalanka, said he was delighted to welcome Buddhika to the growing team.
He said: “Our hotel is right in the heart of Derby, and we want to welcome everyone to the Cathedral Quarter Hotel.
“We are building a great team here and now it is time for the people of Derby to come and see what we are doing.”
In 2024, management at the Cathedral Quarter Hotel announced a major refurbishment of the hotel. Owners transformed all 38 en-suite bedrooms, with new beds and new 43-inch TVs, and installed a new Starbucks coffee lounge, which is now open to hotel guests and members of the public. Key public areas, including the lobby, restaurant and corporate meeting rooms, were also redecorated to enhance the building’s historic character.
Isuru explained: “We are extremely keen to become an integral part of the community here in Derby. I want the Cathedral Quarter Hotel to be the place for people to meet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We want couples to book their weddings and for businesses to have their corporate events with us. Hopefully, our Christmas initiative will bring new visitors to the hotel too.”
To book a table or make a room reservation, call the Cathedral Quarter Hotel on Derby 01332 850330.
