Hotel Cateys 2021: Hotel Chef of the Year (more than 250 covers): Olivier Ruiz

This year’s Hotel Chef of the Year (more than 250 covers) has shown phenomenal agility, organisation and stamina over an 18-month period that has seen him not only keep a large operation running successfully, but also provide thousands of meals to those in need.

After Covid-19 brought the nation to a halt in 2020, Olivier Ruiz, executive chef of Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, co-ordinated and delivered three meals a day for up to 600 key workers in the capital every day for eight months. That summer, Ruiz also played a vital role in supporting Oasis Academy’s Summer Plate Up, which provided a free breakfast and lunch to pupils in need, serving 24,000 meals during the course of the six-week holiday club.

In December 2020 the hotel partnered with Lambeth Council to deliver its Helping Hands programme, which saw Ruiz lead a team of 36 volunteers from across the business to serve 2,000 roast dinners to elderly and
vulnerable people in the community.

Ruiz has continued to put in an admirable shift in the battle against Covid-19 throughout 2021, co-ordinating and overseeing the menu preparation and production for Park Plaza Westminster Bridge’s sister venues, which are being used as government quarantine hotels.

On top of all these challenges Ruiz also helped ensure that this year’s Wimbledon Championship could go ahead, leading a team of 80 chefs to provide food for the players and their support teams, in line with their schedules and nutritional needs.

Even outside of a pandemic, managing the food and beverage operation at the 1,019-bedroom Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is a major and diversified task. The hotel incorporates Brasserie Joël, Primo Bar, Ichi sushi and sashimi bar, Illy Caffè, room service, minibars, the executive lounge and breakfast.

Ruiz and his teams serve 982,000 covers each year, including 114,000 at events and meetings, delivering revenue of some £14.2m.

Ruiz recruits based on attitude, happily taking on staff with no previous hospitality experience and providing a complete training package. The result is an impressive staff retention rate of 96%, the highest across the whole hotel, and an average length of service of four years. It’s no wonder our judges described his achievements since 2020 as phenomenal.

What the judges said

“Olivier has clearly flexed with ever-changing business needs through these difficult times, from re-organising the kitchen to retaining the brigade and keeping a stable food cost. His charitable support is a phenomenal achievement.”

Simon Attridge

“The scale of the operation that Olivier manages is eye-watering, the meticulous planning involved simply staggering. What’s even more impressive is his commitment to supporting the community. Where a lot of hotels shut down, Olivier and his team mobilised their planning abilities to feed and nourish those in need.”

Chris King

“The sheer number of meals Olivier has overseen in the last 12 months is not only remarkable but admirable.”

Adam Smith

The shortlist

Mario Perera The Dorchester, London

Olivier Ruiz Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London

Past winners

2019

Simon Attridge, Gleneagles

2018

Robert Bates, The Belfry Hotel & Resort

2017

Chris King, the Langham London

2016

Chris Wheeler, Stoke Park Country Club, Spa & Hotel

2015

Lewis Hamblet, South Lodge

2014

James Murphy, Principal Hayley – Grand Central Hotel

2013

Ryan Neill, De Vere Cameron House on Loch Lomond

2012

Nigel Boschetti, Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel

2011

Martyn Nail, Claridge’s

2010

Steve Munkley, Royal Garden hotel

2009

Simon Young, Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel

2008

 Anthony Marshall, London Hilton on Park Lane

2007

Henry Brosi, the Dorchester