Gert Jan Raven

The Climb

Early in his career, Gert Jan Raven worked as catering manager at army, then moved through grand hotels at Hilton and Royal Windsor in Brussels, Belgium, before becoming head chef at Hilton Hotel in Antwerp, Belgium (1994–2009). The progression points to a cook formed in demanding houses, where precision, stamina, and composure matter as much as output. From catering manager at army to the polished, exacting world of Hilton and Royal Windsor in Brussels, Belgium, the early years trace work inside institutions that do not make room for drift. The next chapter, as head chef at Hilton Hotel in Antwerp, Belgium (1994–2009), carried the weight of continuity: a long run where consistency counted as much as any single plate. Today, Gert is chef / owner of Restaurant Raven. That shift from employee to owner matters. It moves the work from executing a house standard to setting one’s own terms, with Restaurant Raven as the place where years of discipline now meet a more personal version of hospitality.

Today

He is a restaurant owner at Restaurant Raven. His stated aim is plain: "I want to make good, well-made food at reasonable prices." The line is direct, and so is the method it implies: no excess, no padding, just the essentials handled cleanly. It points to a kitchen philosophy built on clarity and restraint rather than display, with value treated as part of the craft. That simplicity also reads as earned experience. After years inside professional kitchens, Gert Jan Raven frames cooking as something to be made carefully, and priced in a way that keeps the table open.

Signature

Signature dishes include Bresse chicken stuffed with green cabbage. The dish suggests balance and control: a familiar bird, structured by a clean contrast in the green cabbage. It is the sort of preparation that looks straightforward only after the work has been done to make it so. In the context of Restaurant Raven, it matches the stated aim: food that is well-made, direct in intent, and conscious of price.

In Their Words “I want to make good, well-made food at reasonable prices.”

Recognition

Gert's honors include Prix Prosper Montagné / Best Chef of Belgium (1983) and Bocuse d'Or bronze (1991). These awards sit early in the arc of his career and show how his work was read by the trade: technical discipline, competitive edge, and execution under pressure. Prix Prosper Montagné / Best Chef of Belgium (1983) and Bocuse d'Or bronze (1991) together mark a chef whose rise was built by repetition and result, not by luck. They reinforce the same throughline that runs through his kitchens: progress earned meal by meal, service by service.