- Exploring global food cultures, cuisines, and culinary techniques
Menu creativity, flavour development, and food innovation
Music and the arts, with a strong interest in creative expression
Sports and fitness, including streanth sports
Lukasz Lutostanski
Birmingham,United Kingdom
Summary
Chef with 14 years of experience in fine dining and luxury hospitality. Proven track record in operational management and culinary innovation, leading high-profile events such as Formula 1 and Cheltenham Festival. Currently serves as Executive Chef at Meaa Restaurants, managing multi-site kitchen operations to enhance profitability and ensure compliance with food safety standards. Focused on menu development, cost management, and driving business growth initiatives.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Chef
Meaa
Birmingham/London, United Kingdon
10.2025 - Current
- Lead all back-of-house operations across a high-volume Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant, overseeing culinary direction, operational performance, and team leadership
• Design, develop, and deliver innovative menus, including concept creation, seasonal planning, recipe development, tastings, and structured menu rollouts
• Drive culinary creativity while maintaining authentic flavour profiles, consistency, and brand identity
• Work actively on the line during service to maintain standards, mentor chefs, and ensure operational excellence
• Oversee food safety, health & safety, and hygiene compliance, including policy creation, implementation, audits, and staff training
• Create and implement SOPs, operational frameworks, and kitchen policies to streamline workflow and ensure consistency
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop kitchen teams through structured onboarding, cook-offs, workshops, and performance management
• Conduct one-to-one meetings, kitchen briefings, and team development sessions to support engagement, growth, and accountability
• Lead internal presentations aligned with culinary strategy, brand values, and operational goals
• Collaborate with senior leadership and marketing teams on menu launches, food photography, content creation, and brand storytelling
• Manage labour budgets, rota planning, and staffing optimisation to control costs while maintaining service quality
• Control food margins through costing, supplier negotiation, stock management, stock rotation, waste reduction, and purchasing strategy
• Monitor KPIs including GP%, labour %, waste, and productivity to improve profitability and performance
Head Chef
Gaucho
Birmingham, UK
01.2019 - 01.2026
- Lead culinary and operational performance across multiple Gaucho sites, with direct responsibility for profitability, sustainability, and team culture.
- Develop innovative, high-quality menus and oversee food concept development tailored to brand standards.
- Collaborate on business KPIs including cost of sales, gross profit margins, stock holding, stock quotation, and EBITDA.
- Manage and mentor diverse brigades of chefs across sites, fostering leadership and accountability.
- Represented Gaucho at national-scale hospitality events (Cheltenham, Silverstone, Formula 1).
- Contributed to new site openings across the UK, ensuring consistency and operational readiness.
- Maintain compliance with HACCP, allergen safety, and health & safety regulations.
- Supported Gaucho in earning 'Best Steak House' recognition.
Senior Sous Chef
Cielo Restaurant
Birmingham, UK
01.2012 - 01.2019
- Key role in kitchen leadership at one of England’s top-rated Italian fine dining restaurants.
- Led daily service and collaborated on seasonal menu development and new dish creation.
- Worked alongside the Head Chef in staff training, inventory management, and service execution.
- Oversaw KPIs such as food cost control, stock holding, stock quotation, and profitability tracking.
- Maintained kitchen compliance with HACCP and health & safety standards.
- Actively participated in branding and marketing through food festivals and public events.
- Drove improvements in guest satisfaction, consistency, and team performance.
- Contributed to the restaurant winning the 'Best Italian Restaurant in England' award.
Head Chef
The Old Crown
Birmingham
01.2010 - 01.2012
- Oversaw complete kitchen operations in a historic gastropub and boutique hotel setting.
- Designed innovative, seasonal menus focused on traditional British cuisine with modern presentation.
- Managed stock, supplier relationships, and cost control contributing to business profitability.
- Enforced strict food safety, allergen control, and HACCP compliance.
- Led food-driven events and contributed to strong community engagement and brand visibility.
- Mentored junior chefs, created prep schedules, and improved overall kitchen performance.
- Ensured consistently high standards in food quality and guest experience.
Education
Diploma in Professional Cookery - Level 3
South and City College Birmingham
Diploma in Food Nutrition - Level 4 & 5
Birmingham
Skills
- Culinary leadership and brigade management
- Menu and recipe development
- High-volume event planning
- Multi-site operations management
- Cost control and budgeting
- Food safety and allergen management
- Guest experience enhancement
- Sustainability initiatives
- Culinary creativity and innovation
- Kitchen operations oversight
- Supplier negotiation strategies
- Staff training and development
- KPI monitoring and analysis
- Market collaboration efforts
- Food preparation techniques mastery
- Customer satisfaction strategies
- Gross profit analysis and menu costing
- Plating techniques expertise
Interests
Accomplishments
- Winning the best steak house in West Midlands (uk) -Gaucho Restaurant
- Winning the best Italian restaurant in England - Cielo Italian Cuisine
Timeline
Executive Chef
Meaa
10.2025 - Current
Head Chef
Gaucho
01.2019 - 01.2026
Senior Sous Chef
Cielo Restaurant
01.2012 - 01.2019
Head Chef
The Old Crown
01.2010 - 01.2012
Diploma in Professional Cookery - Level 3
South and City College Birmingham
Diploma in Food Nutrition - Level 4 & 5
Birmingham