Lucas Sauvage

By sheer force of personality, unhesitating commitment to the task and all-consuming passion to organize our kitchen, Lucas has evolved and grown into our foremost, preeminent chef. An intelligent young man, and well-educated, with a degree in English Literature from a French university, he first qualified from academic chef school, then went to work in Grenoble’s finest fish restaurant. on the grounds, he says, that he felt he needed to improve his expertise in this particular field. He worked there under the head chef before coming to London to work in our restaurant.

He speaks English like a native, if with a slight American accent, following a stint in the United States as a young lad. His motivation for working in our restaurant? Intellectual curiosity, I like to think, at least in part, in wishing to discover the true qualities of the English kitchen. I have seen him going home after a long day with a copy of Dorothy Hartley's Food in England under his arm.

Qualifications

IMT Grenoble (France):
Brevet professionnel de cuisine mention bien (Advanced cooking diploma with honors)
MC dessert de Restaurant mention bien (Restaurant pastry diploma with honors)
CAP cuisine (Basic cooking diploma)

July 2009 – July 2010: Restaurant 'le Provence' (Correnc, France)
Position: Chef de Partie

July 2008 – July 2009 :Restaurant 'le Provence' (Correnc, France)
Position: Pastry Chef

July 2007 – July 2008: Restaurant 'le Provence' (Correnc, France)
Position: Commis Chef

www.leprovence.fr

Rob Howard

Rob was schooled in the exemplary, "no compromise" highly disciplined culinary tradition of the London hotel restaurant kitchen, in this case the Westbury, and Lanesborough hotels. There is no training like it in England, for teaching the fundamental skills of catering. Many restaurants are apt to cut corners, and drop standards, but not these great hotel kitchens. We are indeed privileged to have someone working for us from this background.

Rob grew up in the countryside in Essex. His parents have always kept an allotment, and with it he has learned the importance of the seasonality of local produce. He loves English cooking, and frequently contributes ideas and original thinking. Rob has also worked as pastry-chef for the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, Zefferano’s.

2003 - 2006: The Westbury Mayfair Hotel (London)
Position: Commis Chef to Demi Chef de Partie

1 year and a half at W'Sens : The Pourcel Brothers (Piccadilly Circus, London)
Position: Chef de Partie to Pastry Sous Chef

Over 1 year at Zaffarano (1* Michelin) (Knightsbridge, London)
Position: Pastry chef to Senior Chef de Partie

6 months at The Lanesborough: Paul Gayler (London)
Position: Junior Sous Chef

1 year at Megaro Hotel (King's Cross, London)
Position: Sous Chef

Robert Meldrum

Robert is our pastry-chef, American, hailing from Detroit, and as sensitive and delicate and talented an artisan working in this metier as any Francophone exponent of the genre. He came to London to work under the inspirational Nicholas Houchet, now of Le Cordon Bleu, formerly Patisserie Macaron. He spread his net widely, and absorbed a wide range of skills and experience at some highly estimable restaurants, from Jo Allen's to Pharmacy.

Qualifications

October 2007 - 4 November 2011: Macaron Patisserie (London)
Position: Sous pastry chef

January 2004 – August 2007: Blakes Hotel (London)
Position: Head pastry chef

September 2003 – January 2004: South Restaurant (London)
Position: Senior chef de partie

August 2001 – September 2003: Wine Wharf (London)
Position: Head chef

2001: Christopher’s Restaurant (London)
Position: 2nd pastry chef

1998-2000: Pharmacy, Damien Hirst (London)
Position: Chef de partie to pastry chef de partie

1997: Joe Allen’s Covent Garden (London)
Position: Chef

1996: Detroit Athletic Club, banqueting (USA)
Position: Commis chef

James Mackenzie

June 2011 – September 2011 – University Campus Suffolk, restaurant also open to the general public (Ipswich)
Position: Sous Chef

October 2010 – June 2011: Cock & Pye, gastro-pub (Ipswich)
Position: Sous chef

April 2010 – October 2010: JR Creasey’s Butcher's Company (Woodbridge)
Position: Trainee butcher

April 2009 – April 2010: The Seal gastro-pub (Woodbridge)
Position: Head Chef

June 2008 – April 2009: Milsom Hotel, 2AA rosettes (Kesgrave)
Position: Chef de Partie

1999-2008: Chef in the British Army, from Private to Lance Corporal
• Royal Logistics Corp, Army Catering College in Aldershot
• Royal Electrical Engineers, Officers' Mess
• Queen's Dragoon Guards, Officers' Mess
• Ministry of Defence, Norwich, Lance Corporal Supervising
• 2006-2007, active duty in Iraq cooking for 10,000 soldiers and officers in a chefs' brigade of 35

Grzegorz (Greg) Kurant

March 2010 – July 2011: Kettner's Restaurant, Soho (London)
Position: Senior chef de partie

2008 – 2010: Northgate Restaurant (London)
Positon: Sous chef

2006 – 2008: Smith's of Smithfield, John Torode (London)
Position: Chef de partie to senior chef de partie

2004 – 2006: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet St (London))
Position: Commis chef to chef de partie

1999 – 2004: Chef in the Polish Navy, reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer, cooking for all ranks including the Officers' Mess.

1996 - 1999: Victoria Hotel (Gdynia, Poland)
Position: Commis chef to chef de partie

1994 - 1997: Gdansk College (Poland), Diploma in Catering and Nutrition

Rytis Jotauta

July 2010 to present: the English Restaurant
Position: Commis chef to junior chef de partie
Working on the larder and pastry sections, currently training for NVQ level 2.