Daring, unique, playful are just a few words that come top of mind when experiencing one of Chef Yann Lejard’s signature dishes. Like a modern-day disruptor turning the simplicities of food into plated works of art, his talents have taken him across Europe into major Michelin-starred restaurants. Lejard first arrived in Saudi and then to the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2014, where he assumed the role of Chef de Cuisine for the award-winning Plums restaurant.
Proving his leadership with a promotion to Executive Sous Chef in 2016, in his new role as Executive Chef of the five-star Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, Lejard will oversee a culinary team of 130 chefs, along with the menu creation and kitchen operations of the resort’s 11 restaurants, in-room dining and banquet catering divisions.
Born in Paris, France, Lejard began expressing himself through street art, taking inspiration from the likes of modern art legend Jackson Pollock (1912-1956). Eventually becoming a chef by the age of 16, it was then where he found food to be a catalyst for artistic expression and where his signature, abstract style of ‘splattering’ sauce on a plate was born. Fast forward to the era of social media, Lejard’s accounts @YBLinc have since amassed a foodie cultist following of 120k fans, and those who can’t wait to see what he does next.
“He is a master of art and a disruptor in the food scene with a following of admirers on social media to back it up. He, as well, has the creativity and mastery to take our large dining portfolio to pure excellence. His hands on leadership and mentorship of the entire Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain kitchen brigade has been superb, so it was a natural choice to promote him to the next level,” says Bernard de Villèle , General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
Before joining The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C, Lejard held culinary positions in major Michelin-starred restaurants, including working as a Chef Saucier for notable names like Heinz Winkler in Germany and Peter Knogl in Switzerland, as well as leading international hotels across 20 countries. After stints across Europe, his career eventually lead him to Jeddah, where he served as the Executive Chef for Glow restaurant and where he became the first chef ever in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to become ranked by the award-winning luxury lifestyle and food magazine, FOUR UK.
In addition to being frequently tapped as a guest chef for Master Classes and pop-up restaurants throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, he has also been a finalist at Le Taittinger Prix Culinaire in Switzerland, along with a ranking in the notable Gault&Millau restaurant guide, amongst many more.
