Chefs take their talents to new locations

Spring is often a time of new beginnings, and a number of companies announced new chefs this week, including three Fairmont properties:

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth welcomed Baptiste Peupion as executive chef. Peupion will play a major role in defining the new culinary culture of the hotel, as this iconic Montreal property will soon embark on a major renovation. Peupion brings over 20 years of culinary experience to this position, and has worked all over the world at several Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2010 Baptiste joined Shangri-La Hotel, Paris as chef de cuisine. He held that position until he joined Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in his most recent position as executive chef.

Robert Mills joined the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto as executive chef. Mills joins the Fairmont Royal York from the University of Toronto – Aramark where he has held the position of executive chef since 2014. Mills has managed culinary operations at world-renowned restaurants including executive chef and food & beverage director at The Thompson Hotel in Toronto as well as executive sous chef at Hilton International Hotel in Toronto. 

Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers in Cairo, Egypt, named Jean-Claude Fugier executive chef. Fugier brings 19 years of experience to this role. In 2003, Fugier was appointed chef de cuisine at Restaurant Koumir Michel Troisgros, Moscow and was later promoted to executive chef at Hyatt hotels in Egypt and India. Most recently Fugier held the position of group executive chef at Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels, Doha, Qatar.

Benchmark Hospitality International named Armando Galeas executive chef for Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach, Fla. Chad Olson, Benchmark’s general manager at the resort, made the announcement. Galeas was previously chef de cuisine for Temple Orange at the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa, located in Manalapan, Fla. Galeas has also served in culinary leadership positions for the PGA National Resort and Spa of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., as well as the Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort & Club. Earlier in his culinary career, Galeas was part of the opening team for Emeril Lagasse’s Emeril’s Miami Beach and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, Orlando, restaurants.

Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach (Fla.) Resort & Spa named Eric Kaszubinski executive chef. Kaszubinski, a new resident of Pompano Beach, oversees the culinary execution of the resort’s food and beverage program. Most recently, Kaszubinski was the executive chef at Miami Airport Marriott where he was responsible for culinary execution for the food and beverage operations for three hotels, two restaurants, and in-room dining and catering for meetings and events. He also successfully implemented the Marriott Meetings Imagined program and the M Club pilot rollout. Kaszubinski gained previous experience as a sous chef at Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami, restaurant chef at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, and sous chef at the Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa in Absecon, N.J.

Ron Kneabone has been appointed executive chef at the Algonquin Resort in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick. Most recently, Kneabone was the executive chef/food and beverage director of the Marriott Fallsview in Niagara Falls. Kneabone is a Culinary Institute of Canada graduate who apprenticed at the Calgary Olympics and spent 10 years in France perfecting his craft in Michelin three-star restaurants and farm to table operations in Alsace before returning to Canada. He is a Taste of Canada gold and silver medal winner.