Name: Steve Munkley
Position: Executive Chef
Years in Service: 9
What came before the Royal Garden Hotel?
Prior to joining the Royal Garden Hotel in 1996, I was Executive Chef at the London Kensington Hilton and held the position of Executive Sous Chef at both the Marriot Hotel in Grosvenor Square and Complete Angler at Marlow. As a young chef, I achieved first place in the Swiss heats of the Chain de Rotisseur, and was also a semi-finalist in the 1990 Chef of the Year competition.
What else do you do, besides run all our kitchens?
I was recently nominated to the post of Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs. This new role involves overseeing the ongoing development of the Guild, which already has a membership of over 1,500, as well as attracting new members, encouraging younger member participation, improving training, and promoting the team on the world circuit. One of the Craft Guild’s current aims is to try to get cooking back on the school curriculum. I am also an Honorary Fellow of Thames Valley University, in recognition of my contribution to the hospitality industry and my ongoing commitment to young people entering the culinary sector.