Hilton London Metropole, the largest Hilton outside of the US, has appointed Paul Bates as its new Executive Chef. Bates will lead the change of the hotel’s F&B offering as part of its multimillion-pound refurbishment to transform and upgrade the guest and event experience.

Bates will oversee the F&B operations for the hotel’s four restaurants and bars, its in-room dining service, and banqueting across its 35 event spaces and meeting rooms.

The newly appointed executive chef has a wealth of industry experience having held the position of Executive Head Chef at several leading hotels over the last twenty years, including JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, Hilton London Bankside, Beaumont Hotel and Intercontinental, Park Lane.

At JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, he was responsible for all food products, running the 2,500-cover event facility and multiple venues, including the 600-cover Associate Restaurant. At Hilton London Bankside, he helped launch the hotel’s successful F&B offering, with 800 covers across multiple outlets and event spaces.

Under the chef’s leadership, the hotel’s four restaurants and bars will relaunch new drinking and dining concepts. All sites represent the capital’s food scene, from the markets of Covent Garden and Borough Market to the street food of East London.

The flagship restaurant is a warm and welcoming brasserie, using only primary British ingredients and focusing on a seasonality and a produce-first approach. The hotel will also add a new relaxed market-style dining outlet that reflects the energy and diversity of London’s bustling food scene, with guests able to eat in or take out.

Sustainability is one of the key pillars of Hilton London Metropole’s refurbishment and F&B offering. Bates and his team will work with local and ethical suppliers to create green kitchens serving locally grown produce and farm-to-fork’ menus.

The hotel also works with an organisation to deliver a full circle farm experience. Hilton London Metropole’s food waste is converted into energy and fertiliser, or compost. The resulting compost or fertiliser is distributed to local farms, which then grow the hotel’s produce for the next season.

Paul Bates says: “I am so excited to be joining at this incredible time of change. Along with my talented team, we will be launching four new restaurants and bars and enhancing the food and drink offering within the conference and events service.”

Adding: “I’m looking forward to leveraging my expertise and creating incredible culinary experiences for guests. We’re going to be approaching some of our outlets unlike any other hotel has before, all whilst representing our amazing city – London – creating dishes made with the best locally sourced British ingredients. I can’t wait for our guests to see what we’ve been cooking up.”

The renovation is due to be completed by summer 2021 and will provide visitors with a completely new and upgraded stay.