Adam Rawson will open the Standard hotel in London as executive chef

Former head chef of Peruvian restaurant Pachamama Adam Rawson has been appointed executive chef of the 266-bedroom Standard hotel which is set to open early next year in London's King's Cross.

The hotel is the first overseas venture for US-based Standard International Management, which was launched in 2013 by hotelier André Balazs to run as a separate entity from his wider hotel and real estate business André Balazs Properties.

Balazs stepped down from running the business last year to concentrate on developing André Balazs Properties, which operates the Chiltern Firehouse in London.

Today, the Standard brand, which offers a distinct culture and irreverent style, has five hotels across the US and is headed by chief executive Amar Lalvani.

Rawson, who was named Chef of the Year at the Young British Foodie Awards 2015, said: "Cooking for a group like the Standard is ideal for me. To be able to push boundaries with my food and to have the support of an inspirational team is a dream for any chef and I hope this restaurant will have a big, positive impact when we open next year."

He is currently training under the Standard's creative director of food and culture Angela Dimayuga in New York, where he has created a pop-up menu in Narcbar within the group's East Village's hotel to celebrate the announcement of his London appointment.

The menu includes Rawson's signature burger, the Steakhouse (dry-aged Pat LeFrieda beef, bacon, Stilton, jalapeño and spinach), alongside the Max (bacon, dry-aged Pat LeFrieda beef, American cheese, special sauce, iceberg lettuce and pickle), and REGS (dry-aged Pat LeFrieda beef, American cheese, pickle, tomato, onion ketchup and mustard).

Rawson was the winner of London's burger competition Slider Decider in 2015 and 2016.

His early career involved stints working for Gordon Ramsay, Claude Bosi, Bjorn van der Horst and Nuno Mendes. Since leaving Pacamama in 2016 he has consulted for burger and bourbon bar Lucky Chip and US-style London diner and cocktail bar Dirty Bones, as well as running a series of pop-up restaurants featuring food from his travels to Mexico, Japan, the Basque region and Croatia.

The Standard is being designed by the group's in-house design team in collaboration with Shawn Hausman Design. It will feature a destination rooftop restaurant, an indoor/outdoor Garden restaurant and the Double Standard ground floor bar.

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