Chef John Williams: ‘Great service and great food has to be gelled together’

Chef John Williams has called for greater collaboration between front and back of house teams to ensure diners remember the“magic moments” of service.

 

Speaking at the launch of the 2026 Gold Service Scholarship, the executive chef at the two-Michelin-starred Ritz London said: “First and foremost, it’s one team. Until you have the whole thing working, you don’t have anything. The whole story of someone coming to a restaurant for great service and great food has to be gelled together. It’s so important that that is felt by the customer.”

 

Williams said this has not historically been the case. During the rise of Nouvelle Cuisine in France in the 1970s, there was more emphasis on the creativity of the chefs and the ingredients themselves, sometimes to the detriment of service staff.

 

“[The chefs] took control of what the customer was eating. That took an element away from the service guys. Their skills were really taken away and broken down,” he said.

 

Williams said the Ritz London has since established a method of cooking that enables both front and back of house to shine. Chefs dress their own plates, while service staff carve out portions directly to guests.

 

“A cook can only cook food. The service brings the experience. They are touching the customer in a very different way to what the chef can. That is when the moment of magic comes. It’s so important you get that engagement," he added.

 

When asked about the future of fine dining, Williams said: “I think you have fine dining all the time. It doesn’t matter what style. It’s about execution. [The Ritz has a] classic foundation but we are not old-fashioned. We’re probably one of the most forward-thinking.”

 

Williams said a constant drive to improve was a key indicator of success and survival in a competitive hospitality industry.

 

“You can be as classic as you like, but you must evolve every single time. Every time you take something to the table, you evolve it. If you don’t, you die."

 

The 2026 Gold Service Scholarship has officially opened for entries and talented front of house professionals aged between 22 and 30 working across the UK hospitality industry have been encouraged to apply.

 

Other speakers at the launch event included Rob Rose, restaurant director at Core by Clare Smyth, and David Ellis, restaurant critic at the Standard.

 

The Gold Service Scholarship launched in 2012.