Man Behind the Chef: Robert Ortiz
In association with
In the build up to The Staff Canteen Live 2017 - supported by Westlands, at the International Food and Drink Event (IFE) 2017, we are taking a closer look at the chefs who will be joining us on stage.
We dig a little deeper to find out what they are hiding under those chef whites – next up is Robert Ortiz, head chef of LIMA in Fitzrovia which has a star in the Michelin Guide UK.
A pioneer of Peruvian cuisine, Robert Ortiz is head chef at the LIMA restaurant in Fitzrovia, London - Europe’s first Michelin-starred Peruvian restaurant.
As a child, Robert grew up in the Amazonian region of Peru cooking with his mother and grandmother, an experience which has influenced his cooking today.
He began his culinary career at the famous Costa Verde restaurant in Peru’s capital, before moving to London and working at The Landmark Hotel. At the legendary Four Seasons in Canary Wharf, his appreciation of European-Latin cooking increased, and he first met fellow Peruvian chef, Virgilio Martinez.
By 2012, Robert was offered the role of head chef at LIMA by Virgilio and a year later the restaurant was awarded its Michelin star. He is now executive chef of LIMA and new sister restaurant, LIMA Floral in Covent Garden.
What item of food do you hate cooking?
I don't hate cooking any food but I hate the taste of ketchup and marmite.
What food, if any, are you allergic to?
I don’t think I'm allergic to anything.
What’s your favourite ingredient to work with?
Andean mint.
>>> Read more in The Behind The Chef series here
What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Eating the kid's left overs.
What three ingredients would you take with you to a desert island and why?
Limes, chillies, and onions becuase I could catch some fish and eat ceviche all day.
If you weren’t a chef what would you be?
Probably a landscape gardener, I love working with flowers and plants.
What radio station do you listen to in the kitchen?
Capital fm.
What other kitchen would you most like to work in?
I would love to work in a Japanese retsaurant.
Traditional cooking methods or modern techniques?
I love to get involved with traditional.
Why did you choose to get involved with TSC Live?
It’s a great opportunity to meet other colleagues and have some exposure of Peruvian cuisine.
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