Man in charge
MATTHEW FOXON: NEW HEAD CHEF AT 54 ON BATH
His signature dishes include Kenzie farm ostrich, dukkha spices, sweet potato, beef bobotie and Gloucester old spot pork loin and belly, pea puree, black pudding, crackling.
British cuisine with an African twist.
If you’re heading to 54 on Bath in Rosebank, be prepared to be bowled over. 54 on Bath has just announced the appointment of Matthew Foxon, the hotel’s new executivecChef.
Hailing from Durban, Foxon has great passion for producing British food with an occasional African twist. His signature dishes include Kenzie farm ostrich, dukkha spices, sweet potato, beef bobotie and Gloucester old spot pork loin and belly, pea puree, black pudding, crackling.
South African born Foxon has a strong academic and culinary background, having completed a 2-year advanced diploma in professional cookery at the International Hotel School in Johannesburg. Following his training, Foxon worked in luxury hotels across South Africa, including the Balalaika and the Michelangelo in Johannesburg and The Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Pretoria.
Awarded Young Chef of the Year for two consecutive years in South Africa (2003 and 2004), and being runner-up in the Salon Culiniere South Africa (2004), Matthew has proven his cooking prowess in a number of competitions.
Moving to London in 2005, Foxon ran the kitchens at the award-winning Greyhound at Battersea, where he exhibited maturity, a reliable attitude and great creativity. During this period Foxon was one of the winners at the 2006 Restaurant Magazine Best Dish awards. Foxon later moved to The Rosendale in South East London as head chef where he won the Time Out award for best gastropub.
Since moving to the Criterion Restaurant in 2009, Foxon starred in the BBC hit series MasterChef, in which three amateur chefs competed under his watchful eye.
With Foxon as executive chef, Criterion Restaurant, a stalwart of the London restaurant scene, cemented its positioning among London’s most important restaurants, winning renewed critical acclaim and bringing it back to the forefront of the London res- taurant scene.
Foxon says food has always been a part of his life. Whether it is cooking at home, in a competition or for a restaurant, it’s always about letting the produce stand out and preparing it with care.
He says “seasonal produce feeds my creative soul to make and explore with tastes, textures and colours, using new cooking techniques to open the door for different taste experiences”.
He is enjoying being back in SA and at the helm at Level Four, 54 on Bath’s beautiful fine dining restaurant. –