Portrait of Chris Hannon
i. Biography
Chris Hannon has been Executive Head Chef at Cliveden House since 2021. The work there is built on Modern British dishes, but the point is not novelty; it is control. At a house defined by scale and exacting service, his cooking relies on clarity, discipline, and enough restraint to let familiar British references carry the plate without crowding it.
The Path
Career development in Hannon’s case reads as a sequence of kitchens that each added a different pressure and pace to the same underlying discipline. As Chef de Partie at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Chris Hannon worked inside a kitchen known for precision. At La Jabotiere in Charente Maritime, France, he stepped into the role of Head Chef and widened the frame of his experience. Back in London, he took on Head Chef duties at Aqua Shard, bringing that accumulated experience into another visible, high-demand setting. Since 2016, he has also overseen the kitchen and menu of The Astor Grill, which adds another layer of continuity to his work. In 2021, that through-line came into sharper focus with his appointment as Executive Head Chef at Cliveden House. The role places his Modern British cooking at the center of the estate’s dining operation, where the expectation is not just consistency but a clear point of view.
The Work Today
At Cliveden House since 2021, the kitchen under Hannon is shaped by Modern British dishes and by the formality of the setting. The food has to fit a historic house without becoming rigid, and that balance is where his current work sits: measured, legible, and built around a dining experience that values structure over flourish. That approach gives the operation a distinct reading. Chris Hannon’s cooking favors balance and clarity, so the menus arrive composed rather than crowded. For a house of this type, that kind of discipline matters; it gives the kitchen an identity that is recognisable, restrained, and grounded in the expectations of the room.
Career - Executive Head Chef — Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire (2021–present) - Oversaw kitchen and menu — The Astor Grill, Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire (2016–present) - Chef de Partie — Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester - Head Chef — La Jabotiere, Charente Maritime, France - Head Chef — Aqua Shard, London
Signature
Modern British dishes are the fixed point in Chris Hannon’s work. Across different kitchens and roles, that focus gives his cooking a consistent shape and a clear lineage: familiar ingredients and references, handled with enough polish to register as contemporary without losing their British base.
Acclaim
His standing is anchored in his role at Cliveden House and in the clarity of the cooking there. Modern British dishes define the work, and that consistency has become the basis of his profile. The combination of position, discipline, and a steady approach to style is what marks his current recognition.
FAQ What is Chris Hannon's current role? As of 2026, Chris Hannon is Executive Head Chef. Where did Chris Hannon work before? Chris Hannon's earlier career included Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, La Jabotiere, and Aqua Shard. What is Chris Hannon known for? Modern British dishes.
