Former Gordon Ramsey student steps up to head chef
Birmingham’s biggest residential conferencing venue, Conference Aston, has promoted its senior sous chef to head chef.
Lewis Preston, who spent two years working at the Hilton London Olympia and three years at the 7* Emirates Palace Hotel in Dubai, will now oversee the whole kitchen operation, from deciding where to source its ingredients to changing its seasonal menus.
His passion for cooking started at university, where he studied Hospitality and Food Business Management, before working at London’s Claridge’s under Gordon Ramsay.
The 34-year-old said: “The kitchen has changed dramatically over the last six months. I’ve got a team of 14 staff behind me and I’m looking forward to developing them, and seeing them improve their own skills in and around the kitchen.
“Kitchen success ultimately comes as a team. I always think of a team’s achievements as like playing a game of Lemmings – if we don’t work together we’d all fall off the ledge.
“Working in a conference venue is so diverse. Every day we cater for the bar, the restaurant, room service, for VIP parties, meeting room buffets, large scale events and so much more. No two days are ever the same and it never becomes monotonous.”
Conference Aston caters for more than 55,000 delegates every year. Its kitchen team have worked across the globe, including places like Israel, Switzerland and Australia, all bringing hands-on experience for every type of cuisine.
Mark Firth, general manager at Conference Aston, said: “Lewis’ career brings with him a wealth of experience in some of the world’s finest restaurants, alongside some of the world’s finest chefs. Since he joined, he has brought good stability, innovative thoughts, concepts and processes to the kitchen. We can’t wait to see his fresh, new approach to managing the kitchen.”
