Guy Betteridge is the new Executive Chef of the hotel’s ground floor restaurant, Isla. Guy joins The Standard, London from Soho House, and will mark the beginning of his time at Isla with a full menu refresh.
We caught up with Guy to find out more.
How did it all start?
I started working in kitchens around St Albans, where I grew up, when I was 15. When I was 17, I was lucky enough to be offered a role at The Grove in Watford, which is where I first discovered how much I love working in hotels. I worked there for just over a year before I moved to London and started work for Gordon Ramsay.
Tell us about your new menu at Isla?
The new menu at Isla is seasonal, fresh and approachable. We want our guests to feel like they can enjoy themselves at Isla for any occasion. Our ingredients are sustainably sourced, and we are working with some of London’s finest suppliers.
What can people expect from the drinks offering at Isla?
You can expect a great range of fun cocktails and a beautiful selection of wines, chosen to perfectly complement the food.
What new flavour combinations or ingredients have recently caught your attention?
We are currently working on some ideas for our winter offering, and are looking at combinations such as Yorkshire pheasant, roasted parsnip and English blackberry to introduce to the menu.
Any future signature dishes you are working on currently that you can tell us about?
It’ll be interesting to hear our guests’ feedback on the new menu and which dishes they think will become Isla’s new signatures. In the meantime, we will be continuing to develop our ideas and make improvements.
How important is sustainability in the dishes you create?
It’s incredibly important to us. We try our best to source sustainably for all of our menus across the hotel.
What do you like to cook at home?
I cook a variety of different cuisines at home, and I’m very lucky to have a great greengrocer and butchers very near my home. Everything that I cook has to fit into three criteria: good quality produce, prepared in 30 minutes and delicious.
Top 3 favourite restaurants in the UK?
If you could award a Michelin star right now to a UK Chef, who would it be to and why?
Michael Turner at The Savoy Grill. He’s a superb chef and a good friend.
What is next for you at Isla?
We will be continuing to develop dishes for Isla, to ensure that all of our guests have a great experience.
To discover more, visit: standardhotels.com
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All imagery courtesy of The Standard.