The five-AA-starred Hotel Cafe Royal in London has appointed Marcus Klumb as Executive Chef, overseeing all culinary operations at the hotel’s restaurants and managing the hotel’s Head Chefs.
Dining establishments at Hotel Café Royal include Laurent (pictured), which opened in June 2018 with internationally renowned chef Laurent Tourondel, the newly-opened Cakes & Bubbles by famed chef Albert Adrià of elBulli and voted The World’s Best Pastry Chef, Ziggy’s cocktail bar dedicated to David Bowie’s legendary alter ego Ziggy Stardust, the Green Bar and The Oscar Wilde Lounge which has been exquisitely restored to its original Louis XVI décor and is now the place to enjoy Afternoon Tea.
Klumb will oversee the culinary offering across the hotel and will work closely with Laurent Tourondel and Albert Adrià to continue to make Laurent and Cakes & Bubbles respectively top London dining destinations.
Klumb began his career in London in 2007 at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, from Commis Chef to Junior Sous-Chef. Following a brief stint at One Aldwych, Marcus joined Shangri-La at the Shard as Senior Sous-Chef and then Chef de Cuisine. In 2016 he was appointed Executive Sous Chef at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square to oversee the culinary development of the new hotel, which opened in January 2017.
Klumb will join Hotel Café Royal next week on 18 February following the departure of Armand Sablon who has dedicated six and a half years of his career to Hotel Café Royal and oversaw the recent openings of both Laurent and Cakes & Bubbles.
Klum said, 'I am delighted to be joining Hotel Café Royal as Executive Chef this month, and look forward to bringing my experience to such a revered establishment.'
The move will see Klumb leave his current role as executive sous chef at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, which he joined in September 2016 as part pf the opening team ahead of the hotel’s launch four months later.
Klumb began his career in London in 2007 at Hélène Darroze at the Connaught hotel, rising from commis chef to junior sous chef over nearly seven years. He has also worked at the Hempel hotel, One Aldwych and Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard London, where he spent nine months as chef de cuisine.
In his new role he will oversee all food outlets at the 160–bed hotel, including Laurent (pictured), which was opened by chef Laurent Tourondel last year; the newly opened Cakes & Bubbles from Albert Adrià of El Bulli; Ziggy’s cocktail bar, dedicated to David Bowie’s legendary alter ego Ziggy Stardust; the Green Bar; and the Oscar Wilde Lounge, where afternoon tea is served.
Klumb, who will join the hotel on 18 February, said: “I am delighted to be joining Hotel Café Royal as executive chef this month, and look forward to bringing my experience to such a revered establishment.”
Sablon, winner of the Roux Scholarship in 2007, has spent six and a half years at the Hotel Café Royal. He initially joined the business at the time of the hotel’s opening in 2012 as head chef of the now-closed Ten Room restaurant.