EXECUTIVE CHEF ANDY TAUR

Growing up in the small town of Middlebury, Vermont, Chef Andy Taur, was no stranger to the kitchen having worked at his family’s Chinese American restaurant from a very young age. He spent his after-school hours washing dishes, helping with takeout orders and eventually became a cook at the restaurant; often spending more time there than in his own home.

After graduating high school, Taur enrolled at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont, where he spent the better part of two years interning at various restaurants and learning about French and Italian cuisine. In 2006 he moved to Orlando, where he spent the next few years working in restaurants across various resorts including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and The Peabody Hotel.

In 2011, Taur made his way back to New England to work with Chef Lou Rossi, a close friend from his time at the Culinary Institute in Vermont. He spent just under a year working with Rossi at his eponymous restaurant “Rossi’s” just outside of Boston, before making the decision to head back to Vermont to help a family friend open a Chinese/Japanese restaurant in Rutland. In 2011, Taur once again joined forces with Rossi, who had recently joined the team at Castle Hill Inn, and began working alongside his team as the PM Sous Chef.

Since joining Castle Hill Inn, Taur has climbed the ranks of the culinary program, being named Chef de Cuisine in 2015, and in 2023 took on the role as Executive Chef, where he continues to work with Rossi and Chef de Cuisine Dylan Cadrette to grow and evolve the Inn’s food and beverage programs.

Inspired by his family roots and background in Asian cuisine, Taur launched Castle Hill Inn’s annual Lunar New Year dinner celebrations in the Dining Room in XX year; creating a 3-course menu that accentuates high-touch Asian cuisine. As Executive Chef, Taur is slowly incorporating more of his Asian flare into the menus across the various venues, most prominently within The Lawn restaurant’s lunch selection.

Authentically farm-to-table, Chef Taur and the culinary team at Castle Hill Inn are proud to source ingredients from meters, not miles, away. Along with the property’s on-site harvest garden, Taur works to continue incorporating locally-sourced products into the Inn’s menus, based on what is available seasonally.  He aims to continuously elevate Castle Hill Inn’s already renowned food and beverage programs and place the property at the top for culinary destinations in Newport, RI.