Career History
The Wolseley Restaurant & Café
160 Piccadilly, London W1
Head Chef
2012 to Jan 2016
London’s busiest restaurant; 400 covers at breakfast, 300 lunches, 250 afternoon tea, and 400 covers for dinner.  Responsible for a brigade of 55

Part of Corbin & King Restaurant Group, opened Colbert in Sloane Square and also assisted with opening Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly and The Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair

Responsible for all food & beverage, setting budgets and achieving targets
Roast Restaurant
The Floral Hall, Borough Market, London SE1
Head Chef
2005 - 2011
Involved in inception planning and design prior to opening

Responsible for the design of the kitchen layout, menu format and recruitment of staff

Creation and development of “Roast to Go” takeaway sandwich stall offering breakfast and lunch
The @venue
St James’s Street, London W1
Head Chef
2003 to 2005
150 and 120 covers for lunch and dinner respectively

Modern British with Asian and Italian influences
WestStreet Restaurant Bar and Hotel
London WC2
Head Chef
2001 to 2003
90 seater restaurant with private dining

Modern British with strong Italian influence. Opening schedule for the two restaurants, three luxury hotel suites, bar and private dining room.  Assisting with design of kitchen, menu format, recruitment of staff and all relevant food hygiene and cost controls
Kensington Place Restaurant
London W8    
Sous Chef
2001
Working alongside Rowley Leigh.  90 and 180 covers for lunch and dinner respectively.  Modern British cooking
St Martin’s Lane Hotel
London WC2
Sous Chef
1999 to 2001
An Ian Shrager 300 bedroom hotel, part of pre-opening launch team, assisting with recruitment, and operations of the Hotel’s two main kitchens, plus room service
Clerkenwell House 
London EC1
Consultant Head Chef
1998 to 1999
Pre-opening design and planning of the kitchen.  Brassiere style operation with 30 and 60 covers for lunch and dinner respectively
Quo Vadis
London W1
Head Chef
1997 to 1998
Bluebird Restaurant
London W1
Head Chef
1997
Two AA Rosettes (Terence Conran). Part of pre-opening launch team.  200 and 450/500 for lunch and dinner respectively.  Modern International style
Smollensky’s Restaurants
London
Executive Head Chef
1994 to 1997
Lawrence Keogh
An accomplished Head Chef who has created, opened and operated the kitchens in some of London’s most prestigious restaurants in recent years. In addition to my restaurant work, I have made numerous TV appearances including BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live and UKTV’s Food Market Kitchen, as well as radio with Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2. I have hosted many large consumer food shows including the Saturday Kitchen roadshow, BBC Good Food Show Live and Summer Time Kitchen at Hampton Court in 2015. Previously I have been Consultant Chef to British Airways on their inflight food and am a Patron of the National Kidney Federation.

Lawrence has written two books: Food for Life, from which all proceeds went to the National Kidney Federation, and also Rediscovering Food & Flavours: The Kidney Care Cookbook which is available both on the Kidney Research UK website and also on Lawrence’s own website.

In 2013, Lawrence became an Academician member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.  Since joining, he has become actively involved in the Chefs Adopt a school Programme which brings a culinary insight into food technology to children under the age of 16.
Responsible for both Dover Street and The Strand restaurants.  Position created to bring food back in line with current trends.  New image of Smollensky’s created as modern American Bar and Grill.  Redesigned and co-ordinated the building of two new kitchens in both operations

Set and monitored budges/wages for both Head Chefs.  Set up tighter controls over health and hygiene matters at both locations, plus training staff