The Tastemaker interviews head chef Oliver Lesnik on Great Taste at The Cadogan.
Quality is dependent on many factors such as food, atmosphere and service. What else is necessary?
Quality is totally dependent on food, atmosphere and service. At Great Taste at The Cadogan we use award winning produce from the Great Taste Awards, which guarantees the quality of the food. All the ingredients come from artisan producers and have been judged by a panel of food experts. The restaurant itself features high sculptured ceilings, a magnificent marble fireplace, oversize mirrors and
chandeliers, which offers a stylish and romantic setting for diners. Our wonderfully talented staff are impeccably trained and are enthusiastic about all aspects of the restaurant. But what really makes for a quality establishment is for these three factors to come together, which is our primary focus at Great Taste at The Cadogan.
What do you think is more attractive for customers: continuity (in terms of tradition) or innovation?
I think it’s good to have both. At Great Taste at The Cadogan we have been running a number of menus throughout the year that have been curated by notable foodies, such as Fay Maschler (The Evening Standard) and Lucas Hollweg (The Sunday Times Style Magazine). Each of the curators has had their own style, some innovative, some traditional. The current menu has been curated by Charles Campion and Pete Brown, and is the first to use beer in fine dining dishes. It has been really popular as it’s something diners have not tried before. I think it’s about striking a balance between the two, creating dishes that are new and exciting but also acknowledging traditional food cooked well is equally as enjoyable.
A lot of celebrity chefs have opened their own establishments. What is your opinion on this form of
marketing? Can you see yourself as branching out into this venture?
I think it’s a great way to get customers through the door initially. If you appear on the television and have a high profile in the media, people are bound to want to try your food. However, it is important to remember that you can’t trade on just a name; you have to produce top quality food to ensure customers keep coming back. My passion lies in Great Taste at The Cadogan. I have such a talented team working for me and really enjoy the challenge of working with the Great Taste produce. It has been a privilege to
work with some of the country’s best known foodies and to see how well received the different menus have been.
What is your work ethos?
Cool, calm and collected. Some chefs are renowned for having a fiery temper, but I believe you get the most out of your team by staying in control and maintaining an attention to detail.
Who has been the greatest influence and inspiration for you in your culinary career?
My father, Mario Lesnik. He was the Maitre Chef de Cuisine at Claridge’s for eleven years, before becoming the Executive Chef at Harrods. I learnt a lot from him and he inspired me to become a chef.
What was your greatest success? What was your greatest disaster?
I don’t believe in disasters. Any mistake you make as a chef is a valuable opportunity to learn. The best way to understand how to do something right is to do it wrong once. In that sense, my biggest learning curve was when I took a job for the money without really thing about whether it was the right move. I set up a kitchen in a private house for a famous Russian billionaire (no names). I soon found out that cooking alone without the buzz of service was not for me regardless of what was on offer.
I think my greatest achievement so far has been winning Silver in Paris at the Maître Cuisinier de France – best apprentice chef of Europe competition. This is the most prestigious chef competition under 21s in the world and this was the first point in my career where I thought; maybe I can make it to the top!
Great Taste at The Cadogan: http://www.cadogan.com/dining-en.html
The Cadogan Hotel: http://www.cadogan.com/
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