QEII Taste, the catering department at London’s QEII Centre, has appointed Danilo Barbagallo as executive chef.
Barbagallo (pictured) replaces Jean Michel Viala, who leaves after six years in the role.
Barbagallo, who joins QEII Taste from event caterer Payne & Gunter, which is also part of the Levy UK + Ireland portfolio, has catered for a range of occasions and clients. He has cooked for heads of state at COP26 in Glasgow and for royalty including HM The Queen and Princess Anne.
In his role, Barbagallo will use as locally-sourced ingredients as possible to create dishes focusing on flavour for the new autumn and winter menu.
Additional team members
Joining Barbagallo is senior sous chef Alessandro Malefora and three chef de parties – Joanna Borawska, Maria Angeles Gimenez Ubeda and Chantelle Shannon Quevedo.
Crista Oanta is also joining QEII Taste as people operations manager while Ruth Motiaka has secured an apprenticeship in its finance office.
Jason Dignam, general manager of QEII Taste, said: “Danilo has such a wealth of experience and is a highly creative and talented chef, so we are thrilled that he has joined QEII Taste to lead our kitchen team.
“To have such a large and strong team of permanent chefs working alongside him at a time when staff shortages are so widespread across the industry is testament to his strong leadership skills.”
