Master distiller / blender
John Ramsay
- Discipline
- Master distiller / blender
Portrait of John Ramsay
i. Biography
John Ramsay’s work is built on kitchen discipline, mobility, and close attention to ingredients. The training ground was Paris: at the Escoffier School Gastronomic at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Paris in 1994, he absorbed the precision and standards that still shape his cooking. Since 2006, he has worked as a Private Chef, with his practice centered on personal chef services, private catering, and Scottish produce.
The Climb
The Killiecrankie Hotel in Killiecrankie gave Ramsay a kitchen structure that moved from commis chef to head chef. That progression requires more than technical ability; it asks for consistency, pace, and the capacity to take responsibility as the service load shifts upward. From there, he moved into self-employed relief chef work at Various hotels, restaurants, castles, private houses and shooting lodges in Northern Scotland (from 1996), a broad assignment that depended on adaptation across different houses, kitchens, and standards. In 1996, Ramsay became personal chef at Château in Gstaad, Switzerland (from 1996), bringing the same kitchen discipline into a private setting where discretion, consistency, and flexibility are part of the brief. The role also pushed the work further toward individual service, with cooking shaped around one client’s table rather than a public dining room. In 1999, he worked as restaurant chef at Restaurant not named in Australia (from 1999), then continued as freelance chef and private clients in Sydney region, Australia (from 1999). That stretch widened the terrain again, moving between professional kitchens and private commissions while keeping the work grounded in responsiveness to place and client. Today, John is Private Chef of Various clients, drawing on those earlier kitchens, estates, and international posts. The line through the work is clear: careful sourcing, direct service, and a cooking style built around the demands of the client and the produce available.
Today
Since 2006, he has worked as a Private Chef. His own description keeps the emphasis where it belongs: on sourcing, freshness, and the quality of the raw material. The statement is plain, and so is the standard behind it. “I only work with the best produce and finest fresh food available in Scotland.”
In Their Words “I only work with the best produce and finest fresh food available in Scotland.”
Career - Private Chef — Scotland and overseas - Commis chef — Killiecrankie Hotel, Killiecrankie - Head chef — Killiecrankie Hotel, Killiecrankie - Self-employed relief chef — Various hotels, restaurants, castles, private houses and shooting lodges, Northern Scotland (from 1996) - Personal chef — Château, Gstaad, Switzerland (from 1996) - Restaurant chef — Restaurant not named, Australia (from 1999) - Freelance chef — Various restaurants and private clients, Sydney region, Australia (from 1999)
FAQ What is John Ramsay's current role? As of 2026, John Ramsay is Private Chef of Various clients. Where did John Ramsay work before? John Ramsay's earlier career included Killiecrankie Hotel, Killiecrankie Hotel, and Various hotels, restaurants, castles, private houses and shooting lodges. What recognition has John Ramsay received? 2 AA Rosettes.
