Chef John Williams – Executive Chef, The Ritz London

Chef John Williams is a distinguished culinary maestro, renowned for his role as the Executive Chef at The Ritz London, one of the most prestigious hotels in the world. With a career spanning over four decades, Chef Williams has become synonymous with the epitome of British haute cuisine, bringing a blend of tradition, innovation, and elegance to the kitchens of The Ritz.

Under his leadership, The Ritz Restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2016, a testament to his commitment to excellence and his ability to elevate classic British cuisine with a modern twist. Chef Williams is celebrated for his meticulous attention to detail, his dedication to sourcing the highest quality ingredients, and his unwavering commitment to maintaining the timeless grandeur of The Ritz’s dining experience.

In addition to his role at The Ritz, Chef John Williams is also a prominent figure in the culinary community, having served as Chairman of the Academy of Culinary Arts. His contributions to the industry have been widely recognized, including being honored with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to hospitality.

1. What are the challenges faced by a chef in aligning their own artistry to the heritage established within an institution such as The Ritz London? What does it take for them to elevate a distinctive signature that could stand for as their legacy within their particular institution?

JW:

I feel working in The Ritz is an amazing platform or stage to work from. First and foremost one has to realize that you are working within an establishment with a history of 115 years. The restaurant is of a very specific style – it’s a Rocco-inspired dining room – and so I feel the food must be aligned with this tradition and style. I always want to allow the waiters to operate with table side service to engage with the guests, as this helps create the ambience which is so important at The Ritz. The food should certainly have a classic and evolutionary style so it will remain relevant for today’s diner or guest.  Execution and consistency of any dish is the real litmus test. Taste is the ultimate test!

2. The acknowledgement of know-how has outshone scarcity as the core reference in evaluating haute cuisine. How would you classify the importance of each dimension accommodated in an epicurean experience?

JW:

Service of the dish – ensuring that it arrives at the table how it left the kitchen. Balance of flavours, the quality of the ingredients and the time taken for them to travel from their natural living space to the plate. Great dishes predominately are simple flavour combinations that are well cooked to the point or “à point” as the French say!

The dish must be consumed at the optimum temperature within a certain time frame. Team work is so important, from the kitchen team working together along with the restaurant service team, people who enjoy giving pleasure! Haute cuisine is a lot of simple tasks that are all done very well, and, of course, engagement with the guest will heighten their experience.

3. Do rare ingredients pose any pressure on a chef’s vision? Should they be granted a particular approach, beyond that imposed by their physical composition, preservation requirements, and perishability? 

JW:

It is very important the chef feels very comfortable with any ingredients they use and understand their composition, how they react, and the breakdown of flavours within the ingredient so he does not damage the guest expectation of the ingredient. Som if you cook with a rare and/or a seasonal ingredient, such as Gulls eggs (which are both), the first rule is to allow the ingredient to speak and not to be masked by other flavours so that the guest can gain the maximum experience and flavour from the ingredient, and its own unique taste. If we mix the wrong ingredients and flavours this will only disappoint. It is vital the chef has this understanding to allow for the maximum natural flavour and aroma of the product.

4. Haute cuisine does not exclude a celebration of vernacular recipes that historically, have emerged not from the affluent classes, but from the peasantry and even from the slave communities. Since these recipes stand as hallmarks for creativity within penury, what does it take for a chef to ennoble plain, unspectacular ingredients?

JW:

To ennoble any plain ingredient, the chef has to once again understand the ingredient he is working with; the breakdown of flavour, how it responds to a certain style of cooking. The understanding of culinary techniques is so important and I feel that today not enough young chefs understand the basic principles of cooking. Once you understand these, you can move onto the interpretation and the style of presentation, but flavor of the ingredient will always be the true test and is what will ultimately impress or not with the guest. The amounts of sauce (or other ingredients) will change the experience of taste for the guest thus dulling the raison d’être of the main humble ingredient

5. Since progress emerges from pushing boundaries, what is the place we should grant tradition? Can or should the pressure coming from purists challenge a chef’s creative expression when interpreting recipes that are regarded as perennial? 

JW:

We always learn from the past in order to move forward. We should always allow the seasonal perennial dishes to come into their own at the right time of the year. However with modern technologies, cooking will naturally move forward. I prefer to cook like that, there is nothing wrong with tradition or classic dishes, there is a reason why they have become classic, but there is room for most things and I believe we should evolve and move forward. The way I cook the classic dishes today is different to how I cooked them 20 or 30 years ago. If I take the amount of cream and fat used in cooking as an example during that era compared with today, it has totally reduced as the modern day person does not eat the same quantities and calories. This change in behavior drives change and new innovations, but we must respect tradition whilst remaining visionary.

6. Are there any trends you salute and trends you disapprove of in the contemporary understanding of haute cuisine? Nevertheless, are there any codes and conventions you’re nostalgic of, both when it comes to a chef’s deontology, as well as host’s courtesy?

JW:

Yes, there are certainly trends that I do not really approve of in contemporary cooking! Eclectic fusion combinations are trying to mix cultural cuisines, such as Asian and Hispanic. My firm belief is that you cannot mix a culture’s epicurean foods as they come from that specific culture, that has been forced into situations to produce certain dishes. These conditions give the cuisine that beauty of authenticity. Whilst I can agree with adding a certain spice from somewhere else, fundamentally the dish will remain with its true character and culture.

7. Is there any different approach between a street based haute-cuisine restaurant and a restaurant based in a hotel such as The Ritz London? Are the expectations higher in hospitality?

JW:

There is certainly a different approach from a street based restaurant to a hotel such as The Ritz. The customer expectation is very different firstly. A high street restaurant can rely solely on the quality of the food and service. In an establishment such as The Ritz, it is not only these two factors but it’s every aspect that the customer sees, smells, hears, that will be securitized and impact upon their experience. After all this is hospitality. The money invested and the expectation levels are also very different! No food guide let alone the customers will ever measure a high street restaurant the same way as The Ritz. At The Ritz, we have to work much harder in different ways to impress the guest as the expectation levels associated with the brand name, are usually much higher.