Jeff Bland
Multi award winning Executive Chef at The Balmoral, Jeff Bland, studied City & Guilds (and was Student of the Year) at Bradford Technical College in the 1970s.
“I had a great time at College. It was where I saw
my first whole lamb and where I skinned my first
fish. I did my 147 and 151 exams, and passed
with flying colours by preparing a roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding that proved so popular I have
since given the recipe to hundreds of people over
the years. I also played 5 a side football at College
which was great fun. It was a time filled with new
experiences and it was really enjoyable meeting
other young cooks.”
Jeff spent time as chef to members of the Royal
Family and has judged various culinary television
programmes, including MasterChef. He became
Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Manager
at Cameron House Hotel and Country Club, Loch
Lomond, where he was responsible for a team of
29 chefs spread over 3 kitchens. During this time,
he was awarded his first Michelin Star.
He joined The Balmoral, Edinburgh, in June 1997
as Executive Chef. He is currently responsible for
a team of 31 chefs, spread over four food and
beverage outlets, including number one, now
firmly established as one of Edinburgh’s top
restaurants, and Hadrian’s as well as banqueting
operations.
Jeff and the number one team
retained their Michelin Star for the fifth year
running, in January 2008 and received the “Fine Dining Experience” Award at the Scottish
Restaurant Awards. Jeff is used to being number
one, as he has been picking up awards for years – accolades include Drambuie Scottish Chef of
the Year in 2003 and Icons of Scotland Award in
2004.
Jeff is dedicated to raising the standard of
cuisine in Scotland and judges within key culinary
competitions, including Springboard, an initiative
to nurture young talent within the kitchen. He
is also Chairman of the Scottish Academy of
Culinary Arts, including the Adopt-a-School
programme, designed to promote awareness of
food, nutrition, hygiene and cooking in schools.
Jeff is an active Judge at the Annual Awards of
Excellence – Scotland and an annual judge at the
Scottish Food Scholarship which takes places at ScotHot each year.
Photograph supplied by The Balmoral Hotel