Four SeasonsÊHotel Washington, DC
Êannounces the appointment ofÊAndrew CourtÊas Executive Chef to the capital city’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond hotel.Ê In his role, Court will oversee the Hotel’s award-winning restaurants including celebrated chef Michael Mina’sÊBOURBON STEAK, DC’s go-to spot for power breakfast and Sunday BrunchÊSeasons,Êand the casual yet refinedÊENO Wine Bar. He will also be responsible for the Hotel’s sizable events operations and in-room dining.
ÒAs the Hotel’s third Executive Chef in 38 years, we are excited to welcome Chef Court to Four Seasons Hotel Washington,Ó saysÊDavid Bernand, General Manager. ÒCourt’s international experience and talent will continue to cater to the Hotel’s discerning patrons while also putting his personal touch on the Hotel’s culinary offerings and customised dining experiences in the Nation’s Capital.Ó
Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Court discovered the love of cooking from his grandmother, who introduced him at a young age to the family’s garden. Gardening and beekeeping are important tools that Court uses to discover new flavours and develop aspiring chefs.
In Washington, Court foundÊan exciting team with such diverse backgrounds including sous chefs from Costa Rica, Jordan, Spain and Syria among other countries. The talented team under Court’s leadership is already creating experiences in ways that will be sure to excite and inspire. ÒMy goal is for people to become more than they were when I started. I try to plant seeds. The different ways people learn are inspiring to me,Ó shares Andrew Court, Hotel Executive Chef.
Court is excited to be back on the East Coast offering a different selection of local seasonal ingredients than the West Coast. ÒMy philosophy to cooking has always been to allow the best authentic local and sustainable ingredients shine through in their natural flavours,Ó says Court. ÒWe source some of the finest local ingredients, taking time toÊlet each one complementÊthe other.ÊI take pleasure from seeing the results of the team’s work.Ó
The sports enthusiast and West Coast-inspired Chef is bringing a new take onÊbreakfast at SeasonsÊwith house-made yoghurts, elixirs and house-pressed juice combinations while always offering the restaurant’s classic dishes with a little twist. Some of the new spring breakfast items will include grilled spring stone fruit and house-made yoghurt; light hollandaise smoked salmon benedict; acai jar combining local fruits, hand roasted granola and local honey; and steel cut oatmeal and quinoa topped with honey tossed goji.
Seasons SpringÊSunday BrunchÊis also getting a make-over with a new action station: China Town offering Asian stir-fry. Court’s time in Vancouver and San Francisco were the inspiration behind this ethnic and fun station preparing personalised wok fried chicken and stir-fried Asian vegetables including baby bok choy, gai lan and trumpet mushrooms, tossed in five spice-scented Asian BBQ sauce.
Court’s passion for food coupled with his charming personality and appetite to build connections will suit him well with the city’s movers and shakers and Washingtonians alike who have madeÊFour SeasonsÊin Georgetown an extension of their home and office. He also looks forward to the opportunity to customise dining experiences and create memorable moments for generations to come for the Hotel’sÊsocial and corporate events.
Court is a graduate of University College Birmingham, England with a master’s certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. His hotel career began in 1982 at Excelsior Hotel Birmingham. He continued his culinary career gaining considerable gastronomic and management experience in top hotels in England, Portugal, Bermuda, Antigua and Canada such as The Fairmont San Francisco, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel Toronto and, most recently, at Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (AÊFour SeasonsÊHotel) where he served as Executive Sous Chef cooking for Hollywood’s elite.
A museum lover, Court now calls the District of Columbia home and looks forward to discovering the rich history and culture Washington, DC has to offer. In his first year, he hopes to visit the 100 plus museums and historic homes in metropolitan DC.
