The Savoy, one of London’s oldest hotels, has announced the appointment of a new Head Chef for their famous in-house restaurant, Kaspar’s.
Dutch chef Joost Bijster has taken on the lead at this renowned London eatery, bringing with him Michelin star experience. Joost has quite the number of accolades under his belt, having studied the culinary arts for over six years, earning himself three diplomas and five certificates; the highest possible qualification for a specialised chef in Holland.
While he joins the team at Kaspar’s to presumably further develop its seafood-leaning offering, his culinary journey has seen him gain training in multiple cuisines. Following his studies, he honed his skills in various kitchens and restaurants around the world to ultimately determine what cuisine he preferred, starting with Restaurant Niven in The Netherlands under the direction of renowned Chef Niven Kunz, where he spent four years. It was here where himself and his team impressively secured a one Michelin star within the first six months after opening.
Bijster continued to take the Dutch restaurant scene by storm, working as the Sous Chef at Restaurant de Zwethheul, which boasts two Michelin stars. He then moved on to become the Executive Sous Chef at the Manhattan Hotel in Rotterdam, followed by Sous Chef at Restaurant Pure Passie in ‘S Gravenzande. In 2014, Joost Bijster was appointed as Chef de Cuisine at the one Michelin star Restaurant Savelberg in Bangkok, before being appointed as Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Park Society where he has spent the last three years. During his time in Thailand he was able to develop his passion for showcasing dishes with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients.
With Kaspar’s existing strapline of 'providence taking prominence', this handling of produce undoubtedly contributed towards his appointment. If visiting the restaurant for lunch or dinner you can currently expect luxurious starters like the Best of the Seas platter which sees British oysters served alongside scallops, mussels, prawns, two types of crab and of course, as only fitting for such a setting, caviar. Mains are a mix of crowd-pleasing classics, like British cod with spelt, sea foraged vegetables and brown shrimp, as well as more meaty fare, like Gressingham guinea fowl supreme.
The story behind Kaspar’s name apparently is owed to the three foot-high sculpture of a cat that resides on the premises, whose name is of course Kaspar. Having been created in 1922 his purpose was to occupy an additional seat at any table where the party numbers happened to be an unlucky 13.
Joost Bijster was appointed Head Chef of Kaspar’s at the end of July 2019 and will be introducing his new menu for in October. To make a booking please reserve a table here.
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This article was sponsored by The Savoy