Richard Galli appointed executive chef of the Goring hotel

The Goring hotel in London has promoted Richard Galli to executive chef.

Galli moves up from the head chef position, stepping into the shoes of Shay Cooper, who left the hotel earlier this year after five years in the role.

As executive chef, Galli will be responsible for the Michelin-starred Dining Room, room service across the 69 bedrooms at the five-red-AA-starred hotel, and private dining.

A second restaurant, Siren, headed by Cornwall-based, two-Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw, opened at the Goring last week. Siren operates from a new, separate kitchen from the main hotel kitchen.

David Morgan-Hewitt, managing director of the Goring, said: "It is like winning the lottery when the best candidate is already an important member of the team. We were delighted that so many prominent chefs expressed an interest in the role here at the Goring, but we knew the right man was already on the pass, our existing head chef Richard Galli.

"During the recruitment process, Jeremy Goring [managing director and fourth-generation custodian of the hotel] and I have thoroughly enjoyed eating in many of the best restaurants in the country, which has only served to underline our conviction that we have made the right choice in making this appointment."

Galli is an Italian descendant, and grew up in Brazil. He moved to London in 2004 to join Conran Restaurants' Zinc Bar & Grill, before joining Corbin & King at the Wolseley and St Alban. He was appointed head chef of Morton's Club in Mayfair in 2010.

Four years later, Galli moved to Dubai to join the opening team of the Beluga Beach restaurant at the Kempinski hotel. He returned to London in 2016 and spent a year as sous chef at the Square restaurant in Mayfair, before moving to the Goring as head chef in July 2017.

Galli said: "It is a great honour to be taking the position of executive chef at such an iconic English hotel. I have hugely enjoyed the past two years at the Goring and really look forward to continuing to cook dishes that bring the greatest of pleasure to our guests."

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