Althoff Collection
EN
William Drabble is the executive chef at St. James’s Hotel & Club in Mayfair, London. William oversees all of the dining aspects at our 5 Star Hotel in London.
Although from Merseyside by birth, William’s love of food began when he was eight and his family moved to Norfolk. William was influenced by his beloved grandmother who was also a cook at Yorkshire’s great estates in the 1930’s, including cooking for the Earl Fitzwilliam at Wentworth Woodhouse; while high quality ingredients from local farms and suppliers also captured his imagination.
William worked in some of England’s most influential Michelin-starred hotels and restaurants before joining St. James’s Hotel and Club as Executive Chef to launch the hotels newly named ‘Seven Park Place’ restaurant on 1st September 2009. Already working at St. James’s as Food and Beverage Manager was a former colleague, Christophe Thuilot of The Capital Hotel, and together they formed the formidable team that, in January 2011 only a year after joining the hotel, enabled William and ‘Seven Park Place’ to be awarded a coveted Michelin star and four AA Rosettes.
Prior to his role at St. James’s Hotel and Club, Drabble spent over ten years at Aubergine in London’s fashionable Chelsea, gaining a Michelin Star in 1999 and maintaining it each year since then. William’s career also includes roles as junior sous at the three Michelin starred Chez Nico at 90 Park Lane; head chef at Michael’s Nook Country House Hotel in Grasmere (where he first gained the Michelin star for the venue at the tender age of 26) and sous chef to Tom Aikens at Pied à Terre in London (two Michelin stars).
William Drabble currently oversees all aspects of dining at the hotel, including Seven Park Place, private dining, Afternoon Tea, room service and the hotel’s all day dining spot, 1857 The Bar.
Drabble, a family man, enjoys life in the kitchen with his incredible team creating fresh new seasonal dishes and menus. During his spare time William enjoys spending quality time with his family, walking and reading, the theatre and following Liverpool Football Club.
William's style of cooking: Modern-French using primarily British local and seasonal ingredients. His dishes change with the seasons so in the summer, he likes to cook lighter dishes and then in winter they take on more rustic influences.
William’s signature dishes include: Hand-dived Scottish scallops with white asparagus, burnt lemon and salty fingers; poached native lobster with cauliflower and truffle; fillet of turbot stuffed with langoustines, morels and Champagne sauce; and Rhug Estate organic lamb with garlic and thyme.
William’s favourite foods: Depending on the season… a rustic Cassoulet, Côte de Beouf on a BBQ or grilled langoustines.
What made William become a chef: His understanding of seasonality akin to all farmers and secondly the zeal and fascination of his grandmother, herself a cook.
