Helene Darroze to run the kitchen at the Connaught

By Alan Lodge

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Gordon ramsay

Helene Darroze to run the kitchen at the Connaught
Double-Michelin-starred French chef Helene Darroze is set to leave Paris behind and head for London as she takes over at the famous Mayfair hotel in June.

Double-Michelin-starred French chef Helene Darroze is to take over in the kitchen at The Connaught following the £70m refurbishment of the landmark London hotel.

Darroze will follow in the footsteps of Angela Hartnett, who left the hotel last year along with Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

One of France`s most distinguished chefs, Darroze currently holds two Michelin stars at her restaurant `Helene Darroze` on the Left Bank in Paris.

She will initially launch a signature restaurant at The Connaught in June - Helene Darroze at The Connaught - which will be designed by Parisian based India Mahdavi.

In addition to the restaurant, Helene will also oversee all culinary aspects of the hotel including The Gallery, an informal, elegant dining venue overlooking Carlos Place, and private and in-room dining. She will also be responsible for the revival of the famed Connaught Grill, which is set to return in the Autumn.

Helene said: "Expansion was not particularly on my agenda, but I visited The Connaught, and fell in love with the hotel both in terms of its history and its philosophy of offering the finest of everything. It felt like a perfect fit."

Stephen Alden, chief executive of Maybourne Hotel Group, owners and managers of The Connaught, said "This is a tremendous partnership. Helene is a very talented chef whose intuition and creativity are second to none.

"She is also a perfect match for the Connaught where the French Gourmet heritage has always been a part of the hotel`s exceptional legacy.

"We are delighted that we will have the opportunity to work together to offer outstanding new dining experiences to our guests in London."

Darroze, who will bring her Paris kitchen team with her to London, will split her time between her two restaurants, initially focussing heavily on the London operation.

Darroze hails from a long line of chefs. Her great grandfather was a patissier, and her great grandmother was a cook.

A spokesperson for The Connaught said: "She works with exceptional ingredients to create a cuisine which expresses the authentic flavours of her native Landes in South West France, and a savoir faire learnt from her culinary family since early childhood.

"This has remained the foundation of her cooking philosophy and she continues to be inspired by her roots with her menus offering regional and seasonal delicacies."

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