First woman to run Savoy Grill is MasterChef star
A FORMER MasterChef semi-finalist has become the first woman to run the prestigious Savoy Grill kitchen in its 126-year history.
Kim Woodward has been appointed head chef at the restaurant, which has hosted prime ministers, musicians and captains of industry.
She follows in the footsteps of a string of maître chefs who have headed the kitchen since its opening in London’s Strand in 1889.
Auguste Escoffier, dubbed ‘chef of kings’, was installed by hotel manager César Ritz when the Savoy opened. Since then, top chefs including Marcus Wareing and Andy Cook have followed – but never a woman.
Miss Woodward, 34, said: ‘It is an absolute honour for me to be the head chef here, one of London’s most iconic restaurants. There is so much history here and people come for the classic dishes the Grill is famous for.’
The five-star art deco Grill is now part of the Gordon Ramsay stable and Woodward will head a team of about 35 chefs, 40 per cent of them women.
She was a sous chef before becoming head chef at the York & Albany gastropub in London.
She reached the semi-final of the 2011 series of MasterChef: The Professionals.
Woodward has pledged to continue the ‘masculine’ culinary traditions established by Escoffier, including a daily roast trolley and classics such as Beef Wellington and Dover sole.
She said it was more important to keep the Grill true to its traditions of ‘great quality cuts of meat and fish’ than regain the Michelin star lost when it closed for refurbishment in 2007.
But she wants to bring her own dishes to the Grill, including a tonka bean and strawberry millefeuille dessert.
Escoffier created several famous dishes at the Savoy, including peach Melba and Melba toast, in honour of Australian opera star Dame Nellie Melba.