Head Chef Richard Heller is a native of California, where he grew up in hospitality to appreciate the lighter South American and Asian influenced cuisine.

Richard moved to Europe in the early 1990s working in kitchens from Spain back to the UK. Richard and his wife settled in Edinburgh and opened the Old Bell restaurant, which picked up many awards including best new restaurant and a coveted Michelin recommendation. Richard moved to executive chef for Scottish hospitality group Caledonian Heritable, overseeing dozens of Scottish restaurants before honing his banqueting skills as a head chef with luxury event caterers Wilde Thyme.

Tempted back  to Los Angeles for an executive chef position  he oversaw menu development in all hospitality offerings and fine dining. Richard and his family returned to Edinburgh during the pandemic and began working at Carlowrie in September 2020.