Chef Gilad Peled studied the Grand Diplôme® at Le Cordon Bleu London between 2004 and 2005. He went on to gain experience at prestigious restaurants including Le Gavroche with Michel Roux Jr and as Head Chef at Le Pressoir d'Argent, Gordon Ramsay’s 2 Michelin-star restaurant in Bordeaux, to name a few.
Now, Chef Gilad is executive chef of Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern, where he oversees the culinary operations, including three restaurants, Banqueting and stewarding. We caught up with him to find ou more about his culinary journey and day to day life working at the iconic hotel.
What made you decide to train in the culinary arts?
Cooking and hospitality are something I was drawn to from a young age, and I started out cooking at home with my mom and grandmother. It started as a hobby but with time I realised there was more to it than that for me.
Why did you choose to come to Le Cordon Bleu London?
I was 26 with no professional experience and I knew I need solid foundations as I was starting my career very late. I had few small cooking books from Le Cordon Bleu and when I visited the school, I was very impressed. I also love Julia Child!
How did your culinary training studying at Le Cordon Bleu London help you to start your career?
Chef Yann Barraud, Head Technical Chef for Le Cordon Bleu London at the time, gave me an amazing opportunity when he opened the door to Le Gavroche kitchen for me. I was lucky enough to spend my weekends and after school hours there. It was amazing to study and practice classic French cuisine simultaneously.
What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?
It is most important to be happy. You must follow your heart and only work in places where you love and believe in the food and the people. Never stop learning, be curious and open minded. Never give up and don’t be afraid to fail, it is always a good lesson and part of the journey.
What does Le Cordon Bleu represent for you in a few words?
Tradition, high standards, professionalism but above all passion. I still remember very well most of my teaching chefs, they were incredible.
How would you describe your current role?
I’m the executive chef of Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern, I oversee the culinary operation for our hotel including three restaurants, Banqueting and stewarding operations.
How did you get into this role?
I love our hotel, and I was lucky to get involved several years before I officially started, mainly for Colonnade restaurant. Then I arrived a year before during pre-opening and that was an amazing opportunity to start something from scratch: order everything, hire the colleagues, create the concepts and develop them. I’m very proud to be part of an amazing hotel group and run the culinary operations in our beautiful hotel.
What does your day-to-day look like?
Very long and busy!
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
I don’t always have the time to do everything I would like to, and it is not always easy to split myself between the office, meetings, other duties and spending time in the kitchen.
What is your inspiration?
Nature, art, the products themselves. I think about the seasons, flavour combinations, textures, cooking. I only work with what I love to eat and to cook. Once I’m happy then I try to make it also look pretty, because aesthetic is also important as the guests first eat with their eyes.
What part of the role are you most passionate about?
The people. I love my team, and I’m surrounded with passion and talent, that is the key. I’m a small part in a big operation but my role is to find talent and make it grow, let them shine and give my team all the tools and support they need to be successful. The second part is the creation, I love to do research and development. I didn’t spent years in other chefs’ kitchens, I’m more self-taught and so I love to explore and discover new things and raise the bar constantly for myself and my team.
