Discover the life of John W Thorpe, the longest serving head cook here at the great kitchens 👨‍🍳🏰 Born in 1833, Thorpe would follow in his father’s footsteps as a ‘confectioner’ before beginning a career working in private households. The 4th Duke of Northumberland would then hire Thorpe as ‘head cook’ in 1863, retiring in 1899. During his career, Thorpe worked under 4 consecutive Dukes, catering for prominent events and giving lectures to the people of Alnwick on cooking. Our team hopes to u