14 Aug 2013
Michelin-starred chef André Garrett MCA has been appointed Executive Head Chef at Cliveden House in Berkshire, taking-up his position on the 7th October 2013.
André's appointment at Cliveden will coincide with the opening, this autumn, of a stunning new restaurant. Formerly the Terrace Restaurant, the new restaurant will overlook the fabulous landscaped grounds of this National Trust property and will place Cliveden firmly back in the culinary heartland of England.
Commenting on the appointment, Andrew Stembridge, Managing Director of Cliveden House, and its sister property Chewton Glen, said: "Our goal has always been to re-establishing this iconic property as one of the very best hotels outside of London. André's appointment is a perfect match for our gastronomic aspirations.
"André Garrett, will take over the reins from current Executive Chef Carlos Martinez, who has successfully held this challenging position for the past eight years, Carlos who is planning an exciting new career move, has been a fabulous ambassador for Cliveden and we wish him every success in his new venture and his forthcoming fatherhood," said Andrew Stembridge.
André was formerly Head Chef at 'Galvin at Windows' restaurant in London, his exceptional skills and talents have been developed over the past two decades in the hospitality industry. Starting his career in 1989 as a Commis Chef at 'Hunstrete House Hotel' near Bath, after three years André moved to London to join Nico Ladenis working across his three award-winning restaurants: 'Simply Nico', 'Chez Nico' and 'Nico Central' where he became the youngest ever Head Chef. In 1998 André was appointed Sous Chef at 'The Dining Room', an independent restaurant at the five-starLandmark Hotel and then joined Chris Galvin in 2000 at the 'Orrery' where after one year he was promoted to Head Chef at this Michelin-starred restaurant in London's Marylebone.
In 2002 André won the prestigious Roux Scholarship and took the opportunity to move and hone his culinary skills at the prestigious 'Guy Savoy' in Paris for a year, before moving back to the 'Orrery'.
André was appointed Head Chef in 2006 of Chris Galvin's newly launched 'Galvin at Windows Restaurant & Bar' where he became renowned for his elegant modern French cuisine and in 2010 he was awarded his first Michelin star. He is keen to nurture the next generation of chefs and actively works with the Academy of Culinary Arts for the Annual Awards of Excellence, Young Chefs Award and MCA.
Commenting on his appointment André Garrett said: "Ever since I was a young man starting out in this amazing trade Cliveden was the place to be outside of London. As soon as I visited I knew that I wanted to be a part of this new era. I am really excited to be joining the team, launching the new restaurant and placing Cliveden firmly back on the Gastronomic map.
"My 7 years at Galvin at Windows have been so fulfilling in many ways and, even though leaving is sad, I am happy that I am leaving behind a strongly-built ship. Chris, Jeff and Fred have been great role models and I know that I have the knowledge, patience and drive to go forward and succeed," said Garrett.
In conclusion, General Manager of Cliveden House, Sue Williams said: "André Garrett is hugely respected in the industry and a serious player; I am thrilled that he is able to join my team at Cliveden House. This is such an exciting time in our culinary history and he will be following in the footstep of some very notable culinary luminaries. We look forward to harnessing all his skills to bring our guests the very best dining experiences to match the glorious surroundings of Cliveden."
For further press information, please contact:
Angela Day
Press Office, Cliveden & Chewton Glen
Tel: 01425 283061
E-mail: aday@chewtonglen.com
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Cliveden House is a five-star luxury hotel owned by the National Trust and operated under a long lease arrangement by the owners of Chewton Glen, Ian and Richard Livingstone. Less than 45 minutes west of London and 20 minutes from London Heathrow Airport, the hotel has 38 rooms, including 15 spacious suites, a summerhouse by the Thames, together with boathouse and boats, heated pool, spa and a range of sporting and leisure facilities. The Terrace Dining Room is complemented by private dining, banqueting and meeting facilities. Cliveden is unique, the setting, architecture and interiors all speak eloquently of extraordinary extravagance and remarkable refinement. There is a palpable sense of history for this is a house that for over 300 years has been dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, power and politics.
Cliveden's sister hotel is Chewton Glen a five-red star privately-owned luxury country house hotel, located on the edge of the ancient New Forest National Park in Hampshire and just a few minutes' walk from sea. Chewton Glen has a world-class spa and leisure activities including a nine-hole par three golf-course, croquet lawn, indoor tennis centre and outdoor tennis courts. The hotel has 58 individually designed luxurious bedrooms and suites and 12 Treehouse Suites. It also has an internationally acclaimed restaurant 'Vetiver', together with private dining, banqueting and modern meeting facilities.
