At the age of 24, Andreas was appointed Sous Chef at the Ritz under Britain’s first celebrity chef, the hugely talented Michael Quinn. At the time, the Ritz had an Egon Ronay star, an unprecedented accolade for a hotel restaurant at the time. It was during his four years in the kitchens of the Ritz that Andreas met his wife Alison.
Andreas then spent time as chef de cuisine at the Elms in Abberley, followed by a move to the then renowned Plough and Harrow in Birmingham. Under Andreas’s guidance the restaurant began winning international acclaim.
Desiring more independence, Andreas and Alison opened their first restaurant in Warwick Road, Kenilworth in 1993. The style of restaurant was based on their ambition for a fine dining establishment and Andreas’ modern French cooking. Endless hours of dedicated hard work enabled the original Simpson’s to receive top accolades including a Bib Gourmande in 1995 and a Michelin star in 1999.
Andreas then moved onto his next project, leaving some of his staff in charge of what then became Simply Simpsons in Kenilworth. In October 2004, he opened the new Simpsons, a 70 cover luxury restaurant in a grade ll listed building in Edgbaston.
In 2008 Simply Simpsons was sold, enabling Andreas to concentrate on Edgbaston. However, Andreas returned to Kenilworth in 2010 with Beef Restaurant – his take on the famous New York Steak Houses.
Despite more than 37 years in the industry, Andreas’ enthusiasm for great cooking is as strong as ever. Thanks to his support, Simpsons head chef, Adam Bennett was able to achieve Team UK’s best result ever when he represented the country in the Bocuse d’Or 2013. Andreas is a long-standing governor at University College Birmingham and a strong advocate for improved education and training of chefs.
Visit www.beef-restaurant.co.uk – Keep up to date and follow them on twitter www.twitter.com/beef-restaurant
Enjoy Simpsons Restaurant by browsing our website, or why not make a reservation and come and taste the true Simpsons experience.
Keep up to date with the Simpsons Restaurant team at Twitter.com/simpsons_rest