Head Chef Maria Elia
Head Chef Maria Elia
Catering partners Vacherin have appointed Maria Elia as Head Chef for the new Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room, Café/Bar and Events business.
Elia’s passion for cooking stems from her father, who was also a chef, and from a young age she assisted him in the kitchen. Her previous venture was the acclaimed Delfina restaurant on London's south bank where she was Head Chef and brings with her Sous Chef Daniel Ferreira. She also teaches at the
Maria has adopted a ‘short but sweet’ eclectic menu for the Whitechapel Gallery, which will change and evolve on a regular basis. She introduces diners to different textures and flavours of vegetables, as well as seasonal fresh fish and meat. With the launch of her new book The Modern Vegetarian there will always be something on the menu to tempt vegetarians.
She said ‘My style is ‘no fuss cooking’ with an eclectic take on British seasonal ingredients. I see a huge scope for the Whitechapel Gallery to position itself not only as a leading cultural destination but also as a sought after venue for dining, events and parties. I want to use my own creativity to be a pivotal part of that experience and it’s my ambition for the Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room to be a foodie destination for local artists, residents and workers.’
