SHELTON, Conn. & ST. ANDREWS BY-THE-SEA, Canada - May 21, 2013 -Officials of New Castle Hotels and Resorts, a leading hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the appointment of Jasmin Kobajica as executive chef, director food and beverage for The Algonquin Resort. New Brunswick’s landmark seaside resort will reopen in the summer of 2013 as the first Autograph Collection hotel in Canada. New Castle, along with Halifax-based real estate developer Southwest Properties, purchased the Algonquin from the provincial government in 2012 and is in the midst of a $30 million, floor-to-ceiling renovation.

“In addition to being an innovative executive chef, Jasmin is uncommonly committed to integrating the hotel’s food and beverage program with the local community,” said Gerry Chase, president and CEO of New Castle. “He’s already working with local farmers and fishermen to source product in a way that benefits the hotel as well as the family businesses that operate in and around St. Andrews. His culinary aesthetic and forward thinking approach to the business of food is refreshing and exciting. I have no doubt that he will re-establish the Algonquin as a culinary destination in very short order.”

“A great food and beverage program will not only nourish and entertain guests, but help the local community flourish and sustain economically and ecologically,” said Kobajica. “It’s no longer enough to simply create fabulous meals. That’s a given for a premier resort. Guests today demand a certain level of thoughtfulness and social responsibility when it comes to the supply chain. Farm to fork is the current buzzword, but we’ll be elevating that standard in new ways that will surprise and delight our guests and enhance the local economy.”

Kobajica will oversee two primary restaurants: Braxton’s, which will emphasize local fish and seafood, and a premium steakhouse, The Clubhouse at the hotel’s award-winning golf course. In addition to the restaurants, the resort’s catering, room service and special service operations will benefit from Kobajica’s creative touch, like the resort’s popular, outdoor lobster boil. Resort guests will be able to pick up a s‘mores kit, including house-made chocolate and graham crackers, for preparing around the nightly campfires.

Like many great chefs, Kobajica discovered his culinary passion while washing pots and quickly worked his way into some of Canada’s leading kitchens. Prior to joining the Algonquin team, he served 10 years as executive chef of the Chateau Lacombe in Edmonton, Alberta, where he established the awarding winning restaurant, LaRonde, as a provincial dining destination and the champion of Alberta regional cuisine. He also is the founder of Everybody Healthy? (eh?), a culinary consulting firm responsible for Alberta’s Added Value product development program and the province’s Healthy Trendz, grab ‘n go concept for the department of health. Earlier in his career, he enjoyed a three-year tenure in increasingly responsible positions at the Algonquin and was opening chef for the Fox Harb’r golf resort in Nova Scotia.

About The Algonquin Resort
A Maritime tradition in its second century of impeccable service, The Algonquin Resort is a Canadian landmark evoking the sensibilities of a distant past and offering a respite from contemporary life. Overlooking the picturesque Passamaquoddy Bay, in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, the 234-room Tudor-style “Castle-by-the-Sea” has been welcoming guests including heads of state, royalty and vacation and business travelers since 1889.

Following a meticulously executed $30 million renovation, The Algonquin will reopen in this summer as a member of The Autograph Collection by Marriott, a collection of independent luxury hotels, selected for their individual character and originality. The Algonquin is the first hotel in Canada to be chosen for membership in this elite family of properties.

About New Castle Hotels & Resorts
Based in Shelton Connecticut, New Castle Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning independent third-party hotel manager, owner and developer with more than 29 hotels and resorts and nearly 5,000 rooms under contract or in development. New Castle’s growing portfolio of hotels spans 10 states and three Canadian provinces and includes several of Canada’s historic landmark resorts. The privately-held company was established by CEO, David Buffam in 1980 and consistently ranks among the top 100 hotel management and development companies in the United States. New Castle is a preferred operator for diverse brands within the Marriott, Hilton and Starwood families. For additional information, please go to www.newcastlehotels.com.