On Saturday 1st July, Le Cordon Bleu London will host its Summer Festival 2023. The festival will include demonstrations throughout the day hosted by top chefs in the industry. Demonstrations are included in the £10 general admissions ticket price, with limited places available on the day on a first come, first served basis. You can register your interest for each demonstration in advance which will help us ensure there is enough space for all attendees.
Spaces for each demonstration are allocated on a first come first served basis so please arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure you have a seat.
Demonstrations are free to attend provided you have purchased a ticket granting entrance to the festival.
Diplôme de Cuisine alumnus Woongchul Park moved to London from South Korea in early 2020 to open Sollip with his wife and fellow alumni Bomee Ki. Unfortunately, lockdown hit in March meaning for several months they adjusted to operate as a Korean grocery from the restaurant before opening to guests in August.
Sollip introduces Korean-influenced cooking interspersed with European techniques, an unparalleled dining experience which earned it a Michelin star in 2022.
Offering a single tasting menu coloured by the ingredients that have shaped Woongchul and Bomee’s upbringing in South Korea and from their time spent in London, every element of Sollip is uniquely personal to both of them. Sollip
is the Korean word for pine needle and is understood to be the most effective natural ingredient for igniting smoke and flames in traditional Korean cuisine.
The menu, a single nine course tasting menu, is a collaboration between Woongchul (formerly at The Ledbury and Koffmann’s) and Bomee, a classically-trained pastry chef (formerly at The Arts Club), and a balance of heritage, love and technical exactness.
While accents of Korean come through in every dish, classical European and namely French influence are depicted in equal measure, a culinary style both Woongchul and Bomee grew to love and master through their Le Cordon Bleu culinary education in London - also the place the couple met.
Alyn Williams is a born and bred Londoner. His culinary journey started at home in East London where his father both grew vegetables and cooked with passion.
This passion was passed onto Alyn at a tender age and has never left him. Alyn opened his eponymous restaurant, ‘Alyn Williams at The Westbury’ in November 2011. Prior to that he worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing for whom he was head chef at his two Michelin star establishment.
Alyn saw his light progressive style of cooking winning him the coveted ‘National Chef of the Year 2012’ title, along with his first Michelin Star which was retained for seven years. He has also been awarded four AA rosettes. In 2021 the Westbury closed for renovation.
Alyn has a keen interest in all things wild that grow in and around London, foraging in the parks and commons for herbs, flowers, nuts and fruits.
Raised in France, Nicolas started his culinary career in Toulouse with a series of apprenticeships. After time spent in pastry kitchens learning his craft, including Michel Kayser’s two Michelin-starred Restaurant Alexandre in Garons in Southern France, Nicolas moved to Paris in 2007 where he took on a position at Hôtel Le Bristol.
Over the next 7 years Nicolas worked his way up to First Sous-Chef in Pastry at Hôtel Le Bristol Paris, managing a pastry brigade of nineteen chefs, and working alongside Head Pastry Chef Laurent Jeanin on the creation of dessert menus.
In 2014 Nicolas made the move to Bangkok where he worked at Lebua at State Tower Hotel in Bangkok as Assistant Head Pastry Chef. Most recently, Nicolas took on a role at The Lanesborough in London as Head Pastry Chef and oversaw all the hotel’s pastry and dessert offerings.
With more than 20 years of experience, Nicolas can now be found at The Connaught in London’s Mayfair, where he leads a team of pâtissiers and oversees The Connaught Patisserie.
Head Chef Kerth Gumbs of Fenchurch Restaurant - Sky Garden’s contemporary fine dining restaurant on the 37th floor – boasts almost two decades of experience working in the kitchens of some of the world’s finest establishments.
At Fenchurch, Kerth has created a menu that takes the best of British ingredients to create exciting and unexpected dishes inspired by the tastes and flavours of his childhood home, the Caribbean island of Anguilla. Showcasing the very best classical cooking techniques, and reflecting on his time spent in Michelin-starred restaurants, Kerth’s menu is elevated and innovative, without compromising on fun or authenticity.
Kerth joined from highly acclaimed restaurant Ormer Mayfair where held the position of Head Chef overseeing all aspects of menu development and offerings within Flemings Mayfair hotel where Ormer Mayfair resides.
Beginning his career in one of London’s iconic Sir Terence Conran Restaurants, Kerth has worked with top chefs, including Tom Aikens and Jason Atherton. He was also part of the opening team for London’s first Joel Robuchon’s Atelier Restaurant and has cooked for various charity events and private functions as well as dinners for members of the Royal Family and various other high-profile clients and celebrities.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu London, Kerth was crowned champion of the London and South East region in BBC's Great British Menu 2020, making it to the national finals. More recently, he has been seen on-screen as a judge for BBC's new Young MasterChef.
Kemal Demirasal is a self-taught and award-winning chef who is known for creating product-driven, authentic menus. With a background as chef-founder or manager for various prestigious brands in Turkey and the UK, Chef Kemal launched Notting Hill-based The Counter in 2022. Some of the brands Chef Kemal has worked with include YEK in London and Alacati, Alancha in Alacati and Istanbul, Foxy Potato in London and Barbun in Alacati, with each leaving its mark in gastronomy circles and creating their own loyal followings.
This will be the second time that Chef Kemal has visited Le Cordon Bleu London, as he also hosted a Guest Chef Demonstration for Le Cordon Bleu London students in 2021, showcasing how to cook a traditional slow roast lamb tandoori (Kuzu Tandır) and baklava with a modern twist. This event was part of Yunus Emre Institute in London’s long-running project, A Pinch of Anatolia.
Christophe Marleix is Executive Chef at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. Christophe brings with him a wealth of fine dining experience, including executive head chef roles at The Grill at the Dorchester Hotel, part of Alain Ducasse's Dorchester Collection, and Foile.
Previous roles include Executive Sous Chef at Restaurant La Cour Jardin and Chef de Cuisine at three Michelin-starred Banqueting Plaza Athénée in Paris, Chef de Partie at two Michelin-starred fine dining Restaurant Jean Paul Jeunet in Jura and Commis Chef to Chef De Partie at the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Nicolas le Bec at five star hotel La Cour des Loges in Lyon.
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