54 on Bath in Rosebank is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Foxon as the hotel's new Executive Chef.

Hailing from Durban in the English part of South Africa and with an English family, Matthew has great passion for producing British food with an occasional African twist. His signature dishes include, ‘Kenzie farm ostrich, dukkha spices, sweet potato, beef bobotjie’ and ‘Gloucester old spot pork loin and belly, pea puree, black pudding, crackling’.

South African born Foxon has a strong academic and culinary background, having completed a 2-year advanced diploma in professional cookery at the International Hotel School in Johannesburg in his native country.

Following his training, Foxon worked in luxury hotels across South Africa, including the Balalika and the Michelangelo in Johannesburg and The Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Pretoria.

Awarded ‘Young Chef of the Year’ for two consecutive years in South Africa (2003 and 2004), and being runner up in the ‘Salon Culiniere South Africa’ (2004), Matthew has proven his cooking prowess in a number of competitions.

                                                       Level Four

Moving to London in 2005, Foxon ran the kitchens at the award winning Greyhound at Battersea, where he exhibited maturity, a reliable attitude and great creativity. During this period Foxon was one of the winners at the 2006 Restaurant Magazine Best Dish awards. In 20xx Foxon moved to The Rosendale in South East London as head chef where he won the Time Out award for best gastropub.

Since moving to Criterion Restaurant in 2009 Foxon starred in the BBC hit series MasterChef, in which three amateur chefs competed under his watchful eye.

With Foxon as executive chef, Criterion Restaurant, a stalwart of the London restaurant scene, cemented its positioning among London’s most important restaurants, winning renewed critical acclaim and bringing it back to the forefront of the London restaurant scene. 

Foxon says food has always been a part of his life from a young age. Whether it is cooking at home, in a competition or for a restaurant it’s always about letting the produce stand out and preparing it with care and attention.

He says 'seasonal produce feeds my creative soul to make and explore with tastes, textures and colours, using new cooking techniques to open the door for different taste experiences'.

Matthew is enjoying being back in South Africa and at the helm at Level Four, 54 on Bath's beautiful fine dining restaurant.