PeopleOut of the 75 staff who work at Bibendum, some have been here since we opened 21 years ago and many others for over a decade.
MATTHEW HARRIS – Chef/Director
On 21st November 1987, Sir Terence Conran, Simon Hopkinson and Lord Paul Hamlyn opened the doors of the iconic Michelin Building that was the newly refurbished home of Bibendum. Twenty years on, Matthew Harris, who had started on that first day as Chef de Partie, is still there, now Head Chef having taken over the mantle from his mentor, Simon Hopkinson, in 1995.
Matthew was immersed in the world of food and wine from an early age, his parents running a French Restaurant Le Grand Gousier in Brighton, together with a wine, brandy and spirit company. Family events were all about large gatherings around the lunch or dinner table, and an early love of all things gastronomic was nurtured. Shortly after leaving school Matthew started his chef training, first in the UK, then working in a Restaurant in Geneva, and moving to Paris to do his patisserie training at the Ecole le Notre.
Returning to England in 1986, Matthew worked with Simon Hopkinson, then head chef of the highly acclaimed Hilaire in the Old Brompton Road. The duo moved up the road to the Michelin Building in November 1987 to the brand new Bibendum kitchen.
While a great deal has changed since that autumn day in 1987, much too has remained the same. Bibendum’s original ethos of producing classic French food with a strong British influence, using the best quality seasonal ingredients continues today. The heart of Matthew’s cooking style is derived from the masterful influence of Simon Hopkinson, but he brings to the menu a contemporary edge and breaks new ground in flavour and style. Two dishes have never left the menu – escargots, and steak au poivre, and some of Bibendum’s original customers still return time and time again for that classic combination. While Matthew refuses to be influenced by short-term fads and fashions, the menu is more elaborate and complex than it was twenty years ago, puddings are more creative. Menus change regularly to embrace the best of seasonal produce – lunch daily, and dinner every six weeks. The four or five daily specials are created from whichever seasonal ingredients and delicacies tempt him to work his magic that day.
2008 is a defining year for Matthew Harris. Having led the Bibendum kitchen for twelve years, he is now a director and welcomes the challenge of presiding over the culinary future of what many consider to be a precious institution; one that has been responsible, at least in part, for the shape of London’s Restaurant scene today.
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