Two for the road

Two of London's leading chefs are retiring from their jobs - but not their friendship. Janet Harmer looks at the careers of Peter Kromberg and Michel Bourdin.

Between them, they have been working as chefs for 90 years, they have run the kitchens of two of London's leading hotels for the past 26 years, they have both won a string of accolades - including, on different occasions, picking up the Chef Award at the Cateys - and they have earned the respect of colleagues for their work in developing young talent.

The retirements of Peter Kromberg and Michel Bourdin from their respective positions at London properties the Hotel Inter-Continental and the Connaught - within three months of each other - means the loss to the industry of two of its most respected figures. And as they look back, reminiscing about the highs and lows of their careers, what is immediately apparent is the enormous warmth and respect the two men have for each other.

Their friendship began before Kromberg and Bourdin arrived in England. They met in 1970 in Düsseldorf, Germany, when Kromberg was filling in at the Belle Epoque restaurant while he was between jobs in Bangkok and London. Bourdin was on a working visit to the restaurant doing a week-long Maxim promotion. "The friendship developed straight away," says Kromberg. "There was immediately a professional respect. When I heard in 1975 - by which time I was in London - that Michel had arrived at the Connaught, I thought ‘fantastic'."

From the outset, Bourdin knew that his stay in England was going to be long-term. "The Connaught is a special place," he says, "and I knew that, being only the fifth head chef at the hotel since its opening in 1897, it was expected I was going to stay for some time."

In contrast, Kromberg's initial reaction to England's dreary weather, after four years in Bangkok, led him to believe he wouldn't remain for long. But, soon after arriving, he met Nicole, who would become his wife, and his future life in England was assured. He explains that his lengthy tenure at the Inter-Continental was largely because his employers never interfered with what he was doing. And he was also impressed by England's produce from early on. He says: "There was some excellent meat - although the poultry was lousy - and the flat fish, such as turbot, was fabulous."

However, both men remember the battles they initially had with suppliers to buy fresh produce. "There was a tendency to freeze everything, particularly the fish and seafood," says Bourdin.

Kromberg says: "We were determined to get suppliers to give us the produce at its best - which meant fresh - but we met a lot of resistance. I particularly remember that it took me a long time to get hold of live langoustines. The bread, too, was horrible. As a central European used to having crunchy, tasty bread, it was hard having to make do with just a few varieties, which were basically all made from the same poor dough. But that was then; now, it has improved tremendously."

Sourcing quality produce was one element that allowed Kromberg to build a reputation for serving fine food throughout the Inter-Continental, which was no mean feat, with 458 bedrooms, banqueting for as many as 850, and two restaurants, Le Soufflé and the Coffee House. At its peak, the Coffee House, offering brasserie-style food, was serving 1,500 covers a day, with queues forming in the street outside, while throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, a table at Le Soufflé was one of the most sought-after in town.

The achievement of a Michelin star in the late 1980s and the 1994 Restaurant of the Year award from Egon Ronay were among Le Soufflé's highest achievements. Losing the Michelin star, though, still rankles with Kromberg. He recalls: "I told the Guide we were due to have a major refurbishment which would have made Le Soufflé into a multipurpose restaurant, and we lost the star the next year."

While Kromberg was achieving quality across a high-volume operation - its annual food turnover is now £6m, with 65% of business accounted for by banqueting - across town, Bourdin had a different challenge. "The food was good, but cooked simply, in the style of the housewife; there was nothing original about it," says Bourdin. It was also cheaper for the customer to eat at the Connaught than it would have been to buy the produce himself and cook it at home. A three-course meal, incorporating expensive ingredients such as turbot, was less than £7 per head.

Bourdin reveals that, in 1975, he was faced with a food cost of 62% on an annual food turnover of £250,000, and a kitchen where the poorly paid chefs tended to move on after six months. "I needed to create novelty in the menu in order to encourage customers to pay more for their food, so I could look after my team better financially," he says.

By 1997, Bourdin's food cost was down to 30% on an annual food turnover of £4.5m. And today he has a stable brigade of 50, many of whom have come through the Connaught's five-year apprenticeship scheme, something Bourdin regards as one of his major achievements. He also won the first Michelin star for the Connaught in 1975, followed by a second star three years later. (Today, it holds one star.)

"I'm proud of the fact that we take on two to three apprentices every year," Bourdin says, "and throughout my time here I have seen more than 70 apprentices come through the ranks, including two who were named the best apprentices in Europe - Danny Guest in 1998 and Grant Kell in 1999."

What started off as a personal friendship has left an indelible mark on the industry that we know today. Both Kromberg and Bourdin were founder members - along with the likes of Richard Shepherd, Anton Mosimann and John Huber - of Club Nine, a luncheon club which swiftly became a forum for discussing menu ideas, staffing issues and ways of bettering the profession. This, in time, provided the impetus that led to the formation of the Academy of Culinary Arts, with Bourdin as inaugural president and Kromberg as a founding committee member.

But, despite all their efforts, both men feel they are leaving an industry that is in turmoil and one that considers profits before quality. "The image of the industry started to change with the Gulf War," says Bourdin. "The enthusiasm of hoteliers to be good hosts was frozen and it has not defrosted."

Bourdin describes the 1980s as a glamorous time when chefs were given the opportunity to be creative and nurture young talent. But the downturn in the economy of the early 1990s led to the replacement of chefs des cuisines by chef-accountants. Both Bourdin and Kromberg are concerned that the current world crisis, following the terrorist attacks in the USA, will exacerbate the problem further. "Now," says Bourdin, "the only hotels that provide a true feeling of hospitality are the small, privately owned hotels such as Chewton Glen [Hampshire] and Gravetye Manor [West Sussex], where they care for the staff and care for the customer, rather than just the bottom line."

Kromberg's last day at the Inter-Continental was on 28 September and he was more than happy to say goodbye, particularly at this time of the year. "It's the start of the banqueting season and every year it gets harder," he says. His immediate plans include a cruise and a cycling trip in Turkey. Regarding work, he doesn't want to think about it until January, when he may consider a consultancy or two.

Bourdin will be working until his final day at the Connaught on 18 December, when he will move permanently to Provence. He will continue his links with the hotel for at least a year, providing advice, and he plans to write his memoirs as well as lecture on one of his favourite subjects, truffles.

Peter Kromberg

Born in Öberlingen, Germany, in December 1940, Peter Kromberg followed his father, a chef-pâtissier, into the kitchen at the age of 14. After a three-year apprenticeship, he worked his way up from commis chef in 1958 to chef gardemanger in 1963 through a succession of hotels.

Between 1963 and 1966, Kromberg worked at the Athens Hilton before beginning a 35-year connection with Inter-Continental Hotels when he joined the Siam Inter-Continental in Bangkok. He progressed, and in 1967 was appointed executive chef.

In 1971, he arrived in London to open the Portman Inter-Continental as executive chef, and four years later took on the same role at the Hotel Inter-Continental, London.

Michel Bourdin

Born in June 1942, Michel Bourdin inherited his love of food from his grandmother, who ran a restaurant, Brasserie Bourdin, in the Rue de Temple, Paris. He began cooking professionally at the age of 16, spending the early part of his career at the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Ledoyen on the Champs Elysées, Paris; the Grand Hotel in Dinard, Brittany; and Apotel Etoile, Paris.

Military service followed, during which he was posted to the Ecole Militaire, Paris, as chef to Prime Minister Pierre Mesmer. Bourdin's first position as chef de cuisine was at the Pavilion Royal in Paris, after which he moved to Maxim's de Paris for nine years, where he rose to the position of sous chef de cuisine.

In 1975, Bourdin was appointed maître chef des cuisines at the Connaught.

The signature dishes

Peter Kromberg has cooked thousands of soufflés - the dish he has made his own - since arriving at the Hotel Inter-Continental. Every conceivable type of soufflé, both savoury and sweet, has been produced in his kitchen, including artichoke, ratatouille, truffle and foie gras. But the one he is most proud of is a Grand Marnier soufflé filled with liquid chocolate and a whole Champagne truffle.

Michel Bourdin has created many dishes throughout his tenure at the Connaught, and throughout October, November and December, valedictory menus will be served to celebrate his creations. This month's menu is a tribute to the royal family and features dishes Bourdin has created for his royal guests over the years, including homard d'Ecosse Reine Elizabeth and consommé de volaille Prince of Wales. Some of his favourite game dishes will be featured in November, while December will see Bourdin's signature dishes on offer. These include oysters Christian Dior, sole jubilee and crème brûlée aux diamonds noirs.

The protégés

Hundreds of young chefs have learnt their skills in Kromberg's and Bourdin's kitchens. Here are a few.

Kromberg's boys

David Dorricott, executive chef, House of Commons, London;

David Nicholls, chef-manager, Mandarin Oriental, London;

Michael Coaker, executive chef, May Fair Inter-Continental, London;

Shaun Hill, chef-proprietor, Merchant House, Ludlow, Shropshire;

Jacques Lafargue, general manager, Dusit Thani, Borneo.

Bourdin's boys

Giles Thompson, executive chef, Ritz, London;

Christian Delteil, managing director, Bank Restaurant Group;

Paul Heathcote, chef-proprietor, Paul Heathcote's, Longridge, Lancashire;

Michael Croft, executive chef, Calcot Manor, Tetbury, Gloucestershire;

Martin Green, executive chef, White's Club, London.