Hotel Cateys 2021: Hotel Restaurant Chef of the Year: Jean-Philippe Blondet

Jean-Philippe Blondet joined Alain Ducasse’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Dorchester hotel in London as sous chef in 2013, and was promoted to head chef in 2015 and then executive chef in 2016.

Our judges were particularly impressed with his passion for supporting and educating his team and the creativity shown when the restaurant was forced to pivot during the pandemic, all while maintaining a three-star standard of food and service.

When the restaurant was left with large amounts of stock after being forced to close for the Christmas 2020 lockdown, Blondet put a plan together to create a festive home delivery service to allow all the guests that had festive bookings to experience the restaurant at home. The delivery service completely sold out within days of going online and ensured that a minimal amount of produce was wasted.

The chef also led charitable initiatives during lockdown. He worked with the Dorchester executive chef to produce parcels for local hospitals, and contacted suppliers to arrange for thousands of ingredients to be sent to frontline key workers.

Blondet was praised by the judges for his leadership skills, which has resulted in an exceptionally  loyal team, many of whom have up to five years’ service at the restaurant. He works hard to ensure all staff have development plans, and during lockdown ran daily Zoom masterclasses, some in partnership with suppliers such as Turnips at Borough Market, to keep staff engaged with seasonal produce.

Although the Alain Ducasse restaurant is a separate business from the rest of the hotel, Blondet is always keen to support the wider operation. Over the past year, this has included running a two-week rooftop pop-up at the Dorchester when hospitality was only able to offer alfresco dining, allowing the hotel to welcome back some of its loyal customers.

The judges described the chef as “incredibly impressive” and an inspiration to others, having shown strong leadership while meeting the demands of a high-end kitchen.

What the judges said

“A true leader within our industry, particularly during the past 18 months. He is a leader who is passionate about delivering extraordinary quality on a plate, taking care of his team, and above all going the extra mile to take care of his community in many remarkable ways.”

James Clarke

“Inspirational on so many levels. He has maintained the consistency and excellency of Alain Ducasse cuisine and it is incredible to see the passion that has gone into developing his team and, as a result, achieving fantastic staff retention in such a difficult time for us all.”

Alex Cooper

“Clearly a class act. Holding onto a loyal brigade is a priority to him, and including front of house teams within this is the key to building effective camaraderie. The work he has done during the pandemic is testament to not only how guest-focused he is, but also how team-focused.”

Sarah Williams

Nina Belin, sous chef at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, collected the award

The shortlist

Jean-Philippe Blondet Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, London

Sam Karle Dakota Manchester

Sean Kelly The Lovat Loch Ness

Adam Reid The French at the Midland, Manchester

Past winner

2019 Calum Franklin, Holborn Dining Room, Rosewood London