Lancaster London hotel appoints new executive chef
Luxury hotel Lancaster London has appointed Ben Purton as executive chef.
Purton takes over from Stephen Rey, and will now oversee the four-star, two-AA rosette hotel's two restaurants, Island Grill and Nipa Thai, plus the hotel's room service, afternoon tea, bar menus and banqueting facilities for up to 3,000 guests.
He will also manage the 85-strong kitchen brigade, and also help to coordinate Lancaster London's Apprenticeship Scheme, which helps train young people in kitchen skills.
Purton joins the 416-bedroom hotel from his position as executive chef at the Royal Horseguards hotel, and has also worked at Selfridges department store, the Hyatt Regency London, and as executive chef at Goldman Sachs. He also appeared in the 2013 television series of BBC MasterChef: The Professionals.
As a Springboard Ambassador to the hospitality industry since 2001, he has been a judge for Springboard's Future Chef Competition, won the charity's Ambassador Award in 2003, helped to train ex-offenders, and auctioned himself off as a prize for charity.
Commenting on his new aims within the role, Purton said: "If we refine today what we refined yesterday, imagine what tomorrow will look like."