André Garrett appointed executive head chef at Cliveden House
Garrett, currently head chef at Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, will oversee the opening of a new restaurant in the autumn at the 38-bedroom hotel in Taplow, Berkshire. He will join the property on 7 October.
The new restaurant will be launched following a refurbishment of the current Terrace restaurant overlooking the extensive landscaped grounds of the property, which was bought under a long-lease agreement by Ian and Richard Livingstone from the administrators of Von Essen Hotels in January 2012.
Andrew Stembridge, managing director of Cliveden and its sister hotel, Chewton Glen, said that Garrett's appointment matched the group's gastronomic aspirations for establishing the iconic property as one of "the very best hotels" outside London.
"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," Stembridge said. "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."
Commenting on his appointment, 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 seven 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 [Galvin], Jeff [Galvin] and Fred [Sirieix] have been great role models and I know that I have the knowledge, patience and drive to go forward and succeed."
Sue Williams, general manager of Cliveden, said Garrett was hugely respected and a serious player in the industry. "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 footsteps of some 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."
After starting his career in 1989 as a commis chef at Hunstrete House Hotel near Bath, Garrett moved to London three years later to join Nico Ladenis, working across his three award-winning restaurants: Simply Nico, Chez Nico and Nico Central, where he became head chef. In 1998 he was appointed sous chef at the Dining Room, an independent restaurant at the five-star Landmark Hotel.
Garrett joined Chris Galvin in 2000 at the one-Michelin-starred Orrery in Marylebone, where, after one year, he was promoted to head chef.
In 2002 he won the Roux Scholarship and as a result spent a year at Guy Savoy in Paris, before moving back to the Orrery.
Garrett was appointed head chef in 2006 of Galvin's newly launched Galvin at Windows Restaurant & Bar, where he went on to be awarded his first Michelin star in 2010.
