On Saturday 2nd July, Le Cordon Bleu London will host its Summer Festival 2022. The festival will include demonstrations throughout the day hosted by top chefs in the industry. Demonstrations are included in the £8 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.
Chris Galvin
Rakesh Nair
David Oliver
Nicolas Houchet & Team GB
Slade Rushing
Masaki SugisakiChris started in a small neighbourhood restaurant as a pot washer for Antony Worrall-Thompson, before joining the brigade at The Ritz hotel in London under the direction of Michael Quinn.
His talent, enthusiasm and dedication was soon spotted and his career progressed to – amongst other establishments - The Lanesborough hotel, Ménage à Trois (NYC), Conran Restaurants and The Wolseley.
Chris teamed up with his brother Jeff in 2005 to open their first solo venture, the eponymous Galvin Bistrot de Luxe in Baker Street, to much critical acclaim and many awards.
Their collection of restaurants now includes Galvin at Windows, Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle, Galvin Bistrot & Bar (former Galvin HOP), Galvin at The Athenaeum and Galvin Green Man in Essex. The Galvin’s have also opened Galvin at Tottenham in 2019, four luxury restaurants in the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Author of award-winning “Galvin: A Cookbook De Luxe”, Chris and Jeff Galvin are the first English brothers to have been awarded a Michelin Star each. They received the prestigious ‘Catey’ award in 2010 for Independent Restaurateurs of the Year. They were also named AA Chefs’ of the Year 2011. In 2012 Caterer & Hotelkeeper listed Chris and Jeff Galvin in the Top 100 Most Powerful People in Hospitality.
Born in the small coastal town of Varkala, Rakesh Ravindran Nair rejected social norms and spent most of his childhood in the kitchen helping his mother. It is here he first discovered his passion for food, but it wasn’t until after a straight-laced degree in mathematics at Kerala University and a post-graduate diploma in computer applications, that he rediscovered his love of cooking with old friends who work in the hospitality industry.
Rakesh Nair first met Vivek Singh in Delhi in 2002, where the two chefs bonded over their love of combining Indian flavours with western culinary styles, and it wasn't long before Vivek asked Rakesh to join his team at The Cinnamon Club as Chef de Partie.
Over the past 17 years, Rakesh has continued to evolve as a chef, moving from Sous Chef through to Head Chef, and he is now Group Development & Training Chef, where he oversees five different restaurants.
David Oliver holds the dual role of Pastry Chef Lecturer at Le Cordon Bleu London institute and Desserts Creator for CORD by Le Cordon Bleu. In addition to the next generation of chefs in the pastry arts, David is responsible for developing all of the dessert items for CORD restaurant.
David has experience in some excellent restaurants, including his most recent position as executive pastry chef for the North West at Simon Rogan Restaurants, and head pastry chef at three Michelin-star restaurant L’Enclume.
David has also held leadership positions at five-star hotels in London, including executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane and head pastry chef at The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair.
The Great Britain team who won the 2022 European Pastry Cup is comprised of Nicolas Houchet, Michael Ho Lam Kwan, Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester, and team manager and president for the jury, Denis Dramé. Chef Nicolas earned gold for his exceptional skills creating sugar art, a subject that he teaches as part of the Diplôme de Pâtisserie and Sugar Art short course at Le Cordon Bleu London.
Each team had to present a restaurant dessert, frozen dessert, frozen lollipop and a spectacular buffet showpiece. The UK team’s buffet showpiece was comprised of two butterfly and floral themed sculptures, one of sugar art and one of sculpted chocolate.
The frozen dessert featured a mango sorbet, yoghurt ice cream, mango tea ice cream, mango coulis, pistachio meringue. A tropical flavour cake with a touch of tea and acidity from the yoghurt and the butterfly motif continued with an insert running through the centre. The frozen lollipops featured a butterfly shaped ice cream sandwich of red fruit ice cream, blackcurrant coulis and strawberry meringue. The restaurant dessert featured jasmine ice cream, mango timut compote, coconut foam, galangal crumble, madeleine biscuit, vanilla milk skin and kaffir lime.
We are delighted to welcome them to the 2022 Summer Festival, where they will be drawing on one of their award winning pastry items.
Slade Rushing is Louie London’s Executive Chef, one of London’s hottest restaurants. Opening in September 2020 and located in a historic 19th century townhouse in the heart of Covent Garden, Louie blends the characteristics of four cities through its food, drinks, decor, and ambience, invoking the soul of New Orleans, the sophistication of Paris, and the sass of a New Yorkers – all set on London’s stage.
Rushing started life in rural Mississippi, ninety miles from New Orleans. His upbringing was steeped in the broad range of southern culinary tradition, with many meals created by catching and cooking game on the family’s property, and special occasions spent dining in New Orleans’ French Quarter. He made the decision to turn his passion of cooking into a career and joined Johnson & Wales University as a culinary arts student. His early career saw Rushing working at Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans, at Chez Daniel under the acclaimed chef Daniel Bonnet and also stints in San Francisco working in restaurants including Jardiniere and Rubicon, and later at New York’s Fleur de Sel. In 2004, Rushing took on a role as co-chef along with his wife at the newly launched Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar. Here Rushing quickly became recognised for his exceptional cultivated Southern cuisine and first met Guillaume Glipa, the co-owner and founder of Louie.
After a while, Rushing returned to his roots and opened the first of his own restaurants; Longbranch in Abita Springs which became recognised as one of the top ten restaurants in New Orleans and MiLa in downtown New Orleans before taking the helm at the internationally acclaimed Brennan’s restaurant, his role in the revival of the historic restaurant and was recognised for his work, nominated as a finalist for Best-Chef South five years in a row by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
After losing touch for over 15 years, Guillaume contacted Rushing to bring his vision to life: bringing New Orleans to London. Initially starting as a consultant, it wasn’t long before Rushing wanted all in and decided to
relocate his family to London to be fully involved in the running of Louie bringing with him that incomparable New Orleans charm and distinct menu that champions local produce, unique flavours, and rich spices. From Po-Boys to classical French fare, the menu allows for both light bites and substantial options depending on the mood of the diners. Signature dishes will include ‘deconstructed’ oysters Rockefeller, New Orleans style BBQ lobster and banana foster rum baba.
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