Bea’s of Bloomsbury are thrilled to announce the appointment of their new Head Chef Xavier Torne across all five venues. He is renowned for his creative flair, which has been demonstrated across London and beyond for close to a decade. Starting his career at Hofmann in Barcelona, he has held previous positions at culinary landmarks such as Choconut London, where he was Consultant Head Chocolatier; The Goring Hotel where he was Executive Head Pastry Chef; L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, where he was Pastry Soux Chef and both Le Gavroche and Hix Soho, where he was Senior Pastry Chef de Partie. He will bring with him a wealth of expertise and creativity to Bea’s, especially following the opening of Bea’s Marylebone location.
Not only an excellent patisserie chef, he is also an esteemed chocolatier, with a knack for tapping into London’s sweet tooth. Xavier grew up inspired by his grandmother, who used to cook him delicious meals after school each day. He started experimenting in the kitchen from the age of ten – ‘unsuccessfully!’ – he jokes, but by the age of fourteen was spending his weekends working in a Michelin star restaurant. His former roles have allowed him to develop a diverse skills set, such as strategic planning for both national and international openings, designing/executing new menus and taking responsibility for the innovation of new products. Additionally, his time spent at Hix Soho coincided with them being awarded Best Restaurant in London 2010, and he also contributed to The Goring Hotel’s triumph of obtaining 3AA rosettes in 2015 and 1* Michelin in 2015.
Xavier has already created some amazing cakes and treats for Bea’s Halloween menu, which undoubtedly promises to be spook-tacular. With the return of festive favourites such as ghostly meringues and killer brownies, this year marks Bea’s growth with their new location and menus whilst still celebrating their reign as the provider of London’s finest cakes, pastries and afternoon tea.