Hotels with Dean Crews
Innovative recipes developed by Dean Crews for chefs in the hotels sector using his genuine insider knowledge.
"Philly stands up well with heat and doesn’t have too much moisture so works perfectly in dishes"
Dean's experience in the hospitality
industry
and desire for bringing together creativity and innovation to deliver great customer experience landed him the prestigious role of Group Executive Chef at Kew Green Hotels in 2017. Dean is driven daily by his passion for food and this, combined with his wealth of knowledge of the hotel market, makes for a truly inspiring chef.
Read Dean's Interview Q&AFree Hotels Recipe Book
Free Hotels Recipe Book
Fill in your details below to download Dean's full collection of recipes, including exclusive hints and tips, along with nutritionals and costings for each recipe
Donations capped at £500. Open to bona fide chefs, caterers, wholesalers and other employees of the UK Hospitality sector, aged 18+. An associated business email address must be provided to be eligible for donation. Closes 22/12/2023. Sign up to the Philly Academy mailing list on the Philadelphia Professional website before closing date and Mondelez will donate £1 to the Hospitality Action charity. *For full details and T&Cs see Terms & Conditions
*Mandatory fields
we’ll donate £1 to hospitality action for every sign up!
It's time to get to know Philadelphia
Dean Crews - Chef Q&A
What is it about the industry that you love the most?
I love that it's still an industry run by the creatives. Of course, the business side of things helps with development and expansion but ultimately the foundation of good restaurants, bars and hotels is the creativity and thought behind them. It's also an industry that can take you anywhere you like. There is no set path. If you are well-trained, work hard and get some solid experience, the different opportunities that the industry can present are vast. I think that's something people tend to forget but for me it's a major attraction.
The kitchen’s on fire, what’s the first thing you take?
Knives without question. I have a Wusthof boning knife from 2001, it's been sharpened so much it's like a needle now and only really good for fish work. They’re all so valuable to me.
Greatest meal of your life?
That’s a tough one. I went to Marcus (Wareing) at The Berkeley in 2010 and could not fault one single element. I got to meet him in the kitchen afterwards and was basically speechless!
How does it feel to represent Philadelphia?
It’s great. A solid brand that everyone knows, enjoys and uses. I am hoping the ways I can show it being used will open it up to a new audience and make people rethink its uses in our industry. I am very proud to be part of the brand.
Biggest issue affecting the industry?
To put it simply, there just aren't enough people coming into the industry. The industry still has a legacy of ‘historic practices’. A combination of very poor management (because of a lack of training or over promotion) and aggressive characters (driven by the way they have been treated or what they see in the media) is not appealing. The cliquey nature of some chef circles doesn’t help either. I have been both a part of them and on the outside, looking in. It's a real barrier to people joining and a damaging "you can’t be in our club" attitude.
What is your favourite ingredient and why?
It’s a bit clichéd but I would say butter or salt. I detest low quality versions of either and they can do and change so much it’s almost limitless.
Philadelphia is available nationwide
via all good wholesalers.
