Meet our Head Chef

Get an insight into how our team came together to create one of London’s most innovative dining experiences

Behind every successful supper club, you will find a great chef. Supper club chefs can range from armature chefs who are taking their first steps into the culinary world, to self-esteemed worldwide professionals. We guess that’s part of the fun of a supper club, is that you go in with an open mind to the culinary genius you are about to acquire.

None the less, we would like to introduce our Head Chef Beatriz Maldonado Carreño (Bea). Bea and her team have been busy at work putting together our seasonal winter menu that will run between November to January. However, we thought it would be a good opportunity for you to get to know her before service commences.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia.

When did you come to London?

I came to London in April 2009.

What was your dream job growing up?

I love maths and from very early on thought I was going to be an engineer. I actually trained as one – electronic engineer. I come from a family of traditional jobs (doctors, engineers and economists), so cooking wasn’t a path I even considered.

Where does your love of food originate?

In my family (as pretty much every Latin family) everything revolves around mealtimes. But my maternal grandfather was what today would be called a foodie. He loved food and often came home bringing some exotic ingredients that then had to be prepared. I spent most of the school holidays and weekends with my grandparents, so I was always exposed to different foodstuffs.

My grandmother on my dad’s side was an excellent cook, particularly for sweet dishes. When we visited every Sunday, there was always something delicious waiting for us.

So, I guess that’s where the love for food comes from, great memories from childhood.

Where did you train as a chef?

After I finished university, I travelled to the USA to work for the summer in a resort, and it turned out that it was a training facility for the American Culinary institute. It opened a new door for me, suddenly the realisation that being a chef WAS a career opportunity. So I went to Argentina to train as a chef. My teachers had all trained under Paul Bocuse, so our classes were very heavy on French/European techniques.

What was your culinary experience from that point onwards?

I did work placements in Argentina as part of the training, I worked in Chile and then returned to Colombia where I worked for Astrid y Gaston (a very successful Peruvian restaurant by chef Gaston Acurio, under head chef Virgilio Martinez both now superstars in the culinary world). And then opened my own restaurant which I had for three years. Then I came to London to do a diploma in kitchen management. Here I worked in a 2-rosette restaurant in a hotel in Westminster (used to be called the City Inn, but no longer exists under that name) and then at the Sanderson hotel (where I worked both as a chef and as a pastry chef). I then became the head chef at a South American restaurant in Islington called Sabor (it’s now closed) and then in Barrio Shoreditch. I took a short break when my children were born and then started running a supper club in Highams Park (East London) alongside working in Corazón (Soho) and then joined supperclub.tube.